Doctors at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza's largest medical facility in the southern city, are facing a dire crisis as the facility struggles to cope with a surge in casualties from ongoing Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting.
Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the hospital’s director, reported a critical shortage of space and medical supplies. “There’s no space for more patients. There’s no space in the operating theatres. There is a lack of medical supplies, so we cannot save our patients,” he told AFP.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has described the situation as a “mass casualty influx,” highlighting severe shortages of blood units, medical supplies, and hospital beds. Palestinian health officials have confirmed that over 70 people have been killed and more than 200 injured since the latest round of Israeli ground operations in Khan Younis began.
Residents have reported that Israeli tanks have advanced into Bani Suhaila, a town on the outskirts of Khan Younis, conducting searches and taking over high-rise rooftops, while Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate the city, leaving it in ruins.
Local resident Hassan Qudayh expressed the grim reality on the ground, saying, “Gaza is over, Gaza is dead, Gaza has gone. There is nothing left, nothing.”
Relief organizations are concerned that new evacuation orders from Israeli forces, affecting approximately 400,000 people in Khan Younis and the al-Mawasi coastal area, may force residents back into areas repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and artillery. OCHA noted that a recent evacuation order has reduced the designated humanitarian zone by nearly 15%, complicating the situation further.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced earlier this week that they would “forcefully operate” against militants in eastern Khan Younis, accusing Hamas of using the area to launch rockets into Israel. They instructed those sheltering there to move to a newly adjusted humanitarian zone in al-Mawasi, although reports indicate that Israeli operations are ongoing in parts of this zone as well.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has reported that over 80% of the Gaza Strip’s land area is now under evacuation orders or designated as a no-go zone. Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for UNRWA, said, “We just keep hearing the same question: Where do I go?”
As the conflict forces many Palestinians to flee repeatedly, officials from the World Health Organization have warned of a high risk of polio spreading. Traces of the virus have been detected in groundwater in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis as displaced individuals navigate areas flooded with dirty water amidst the destruction.
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