GAZA’S Health Ministry Spokesman Ashraf Al Qudra accused Israel of intentionally striking Palestinian hospitals to shut them down.
He announced that at least 15,899 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since 7th October and the number of injured has risen to 42,000 since the start of the war, with 70% of victims of Israeli airstrikes being women and children.
He said: ‘The Israeli occupation forces violations against the health sector resulted in the killing of 238 of the medical teams and the destruction of 56 ambulance vehicles.
‘The Israeli occupation forces also totally destroyed 56 medical facilities, 20 hospitals are totally out of service and 186 preventive care facilities are out of operation.
‘As we speak, the Israeli occupation forces are still holding and detaining 35 medical teams, chiefly the director general of the al-Shifa Medical Complex, Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, under very harsh conditions, including physical abuse, torture and starvation…
‘The medical crews all across Gaza Hospitals are no longer capable of accommodating the large number of victims, namely those with severe burns and severance of limbs as a result of the use of internationally banned weapons by the Israeli occupation forces.
‘All hospitals are packed with victims. Victims are lying in the corridors on the ground amid total absence of electricity, medical supplies and medical equipment.
‘We call upon the Organisation of Islamic Conference and free men worldwide to quickly and swiftly act to put an end to the belligerence and genocide against Gaza and the Gazans.
‘We call upon the United Nations to put into effect the 4th Geneva Convention and other international treaties providing protection to hospitals and medical facilities against indiscriminate shelling by the Israeli occupation forces.
‘We call on the stakeholders to provide a safe humanitarian corridor whereby fuel, medical supplies and food enter and victims exit.
‘We also call for full-fledged makeshift hospitals to reach all parts of the Gaza Strip without exception.
‘We also appeal to the world and medical syndicates to provide volunteer medical teams to lend a helping hand to us here in Gaza.
‘We also call on the UN and WHO (World Health Organisation) to genuinely act in order to pressurise the Israeli occupation forces to release the medical crew members.
‘We also call on the UN and other humanitarian organs to swiftly act to prevent the health and humanitarian crisis under which more than 1.5 million displaced civilians are reeling.
‘May God accept in his mercy the fallen martyrs, grant speedy recovery to the wounded and Gaza will live on. Thank you.’
