GAZA, (PIC)
Spokesman for the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qudra, charged Israel with deliberate destruction of the medical system in northern Gaza Strip to implement its forcible displacement policy against the Palestinian people.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera.net on Thursday, Al-Qudra said that the Israeli occupation forcibly evacuated Kamal Adwan Hospital and completely knocked Al-Mamadani Hospital out of service, leaving the wounded bleeding to death due to the lack of health services.
Al-Qudra pointed out that the MoH “is trying to operate any section of Al-Shifa Medical Complex to save what can be saved, in the face of many challenges as it was exposed to total destruction.”
He explained that the operating sections of Al-Shifa Hospital have become the only health facility in northern Gaza, where more than 500,000 people are left with no access to medical services.
Al-Qudra called on international institutions to intervene urgently to protect the health system in all hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, especially Al-Shifa Medical Complex, and to “work on backing it with necessary aid.”
He affirmed that the northern Gaza Strip area has become totally annihilated, with intensified bombardment targeting residential neighborhoods and knocking down houses on top of their residents, with no shelters or health service centers that can be accessed.
Al-Qudra elaborated that the health situation in the southern Gaza Strip “is not any better, as the situation there is very disastrous.”
“We have concerns over the repetition of the scenario that occurred in the northern Gaza Strip especially that Israeli attacks are escalating on Khan Younis,” he added.
He pointed out that Israel has been pushing residents to flee towards the southern region, while the only hospital operating there is Nasser Medical Complex, which is the largest in the region. “We are worried about a potential military operation that would take place in Nasser Medical Complex similar to what happened in Al-Shifa, The Indonesian, or The Baptist (Al-Mamadani) hospitals,” he added.
Regarding the health situation in the Rafah area, Al-Qudra said that Rafah lacks the appropriate medical services that would meet the needs of the huge number of the displaced people. Only 3 small hospitals with limited services are operating there, he underlined.
Thus, the health condition, whether in the north or the south of the Strip, is facing an Israeli liquidation strategy, aiming at terminating the health system across the Gaza Strip.
