Catastrophic starvation, medical crisis in north Gaza: Hospital director

The situation in northern Gaza is “catastrophic” as the Israeli blockade on humanitarian needs caused starvation among people, warned the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, one of the few remaining medical centers serving the area.

“The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic. The blockade persists, and starvation signs are appearing in children and adults due to the lack of essential resources for life,” Hussam Abu Safiya said in a video statement to journalists on Saturday.

GAZA CITY, GAZA - NOVEMBER 08: Palestinians, including children, living in the Nuseirat refugee camp wait with empty pots to receive food distributed by an aid organization as they are unable to meet many vital needs, including basic food supplies, starvation in Gaza City, Gaza on November 08, 2024. ( Moiz Salhi - Anadolu Agency )GAZA CITY, GAZA - NOVEMBER 08: Palestinians, including children, living in the Nuseirat refugee camp wait with empty pots to receive food distributed by an aid organization as they are unable to meet many vital needs, including basic food supplies, in Gaza City, Gaza on November 08, 2024. ( Moiz Salhi - Anadolu Agency )GAZA CITY, GAZA - NOVEMBER 08: Palestinians, including children, living in the Nuseirat refugee camp wait with empty pots to receive food distributed by an aid organization as they are unable to meet many vital needs, including basic food supplies, in Gaza City, Gaza on November 08, 2024. ( Moiz Salhi - Anadolu Agency )

“Every day, we lose injured patients due to a lack of resources and an absence of specialized surgical teams,” he added.

The continuous Israeli bombardment has left northern Gaza in a state of “genuine annihilation,” he stressed.

The hospital director called for the urgent establishment of a humanitarian corridor to allow specialized medical personnel, essential medical supplies, and ambulances to reach the wounded.

CENTRAL GAZA, GAZA - NOVEMBER 08: Palestinian children try to keep warm by lighting a fire in front of makeshift tents as Palestinians in the Bureij Refugee Camp, located in central Gaza, are struggling to survive amid ongoing Israeli attacks on November 08, 2024. Facing cold weather and extremely difficult conditions, Palestinians are enduring severe hardships as they seek to meet their basic needs. ( Moiz Salhi - Anadolu Agency )Palestinians, including children, in the Nuseirat refugee camp wait with empty pots for food distributed by an aid organization, as widespread starvation and shortages of basic supplies continue in Gaza City, Gaza, on Nov. 08, 2024. (AA Photo)CENTRAL GAZA, GAZA - NOVEMBER 08: Palestinians in the Bureij Refugee Camp, located in central Gaza, struggle to survive amid ongoing Israeli attacks on November 08, 2024. Facing cold weather and extremely difficult conditions, Palestinians are enduring severe hardships as they seek to meet their basic needs. ( Moiz Salhi - Anadolu Agency )

On Oct. 26, Israeli forces withdrew from Kamal Adwan Hospital after a 24-hour incursion, leaving behind extensive destruction and Palestinian casualties within and outside the facility.

Deadly siege in Gaza: Starvation, continuing Israeli offensive

The Israeli army has continued a deadly onslaught in northern Gaza since Oct. 5 to allegedly prevent Hamas from regrouping amid a suffocating siege on the area.

Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.

Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine and fuel, was allowed by the Israeli army into the area, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent starvation.

Tel Aviv has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, killing over 43,500 Palestinians and rendering the enclave almost uninhabitable.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions.

November 09, 2024 05:00 PM GMT+03:00