Hospitals in Southern Gaza at Risk of Closure Within 24 Hours Due to Fuel Shortages

27 October 2023

There is a concern that Al-Quds and Al-Amal hospitals located in the southern Gaza Strip, which are affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, may be forced to close within the next 24 hours due to shortages of fuel. This worrisome situation was conveyed by the organization's spokesperson, Nibal Farsah.

 

"Our Al-Quds and Al-Amal hospitals will likely be forced to shut down within the next twenty-four hours due to critical fuel shortages. We're loading dozens of people into ambulances, doing everything we can to save as many lives as possible. At this point, we've had to set aside medical protocols and operate based on basic humanitarian principles. We've exhausted our supplies of medicine and humanitarian aid, and now we're running out of fuel," she stated, as reported by The Washington Post.

 

"We're receiving hundreds of patients every hour, but we have no other options. Patients are forced to lie in the hallways, and we're even sacrificing elevators and air conditioning to conserve electricity for the intensive care unit," Farsakh stated.

 


According to the Palestinian Hamas movement, the medical facilities in the enclave are now without fuel and electricity, as well as facing a severe shortage of medicines, medical equipment, beds, and essential staff. This dire situation, as stated by the movement, indicates the complete breakdown of the healthcare system in the Gaza Strip.

 

On Thursday, Jonathan Conricus, the reserve spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), mentioned during an interview on the British national broadcaster BBC that supporters of Hamas have substantial fuel reserves and should consider diverting them to hospitals to ensure the proper operation of medical facilities.

 

 

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Photo: Al Jazeera English/Creative Commons 2.0

Based on materials from TASS