Doctors in Gaza face ‘impossible’ task as Israeli attacks kill, maim hundreds
Dr Swee Ang, the co-founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, says Gaza’s badly damaged healthcare facilities cannot cope with the influx of the dead and wounded.
In Gaza, “there’s only one hospital that’s not physically damaged and that’s closed down”, Ang told Al Jazeera from London. Almost all facilities have either been bombed or shelled.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military’s blockade on Gaza that prevents the entry of medical supplies – as well Israel’s use of devastating 2,000-pound (900kg) bombs – “makes it impossible to treat patients properly”, she said.
“It makes me very angry. When you create so many casualties, who can cope with that? Most of the patients are already dead, the bodies are shredded. So, I understand how the doctors feel. They will be running from body to body, wondering who to save and who not to save,” she said.
Ang noted that Gaza has suffered multiple rounds of Israeli bombardment in recent years, including in 2008, 2012 and 2014. “People rebuild and then they are again attacked… Gaza hasn’t got a chance to properly recover in between,” she said.
Israel continues to block crucial aid missions in Gaza: UN
Israel has denied access to Gaza for about one-third of all aid missions since the start of this month in a move that perpetuates “a continued cycle of deprivation and distress” for the population of the war-torn Palestinian territory, the UN has said.
The latest situation report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reports that 198 people were killed and 430 injured in Israeli attacks between Friday and Monday.
Between August 1 and 11, Israeli authorities denied access to northern Gaza for 32 of 85 coordinated humanitarian aid missions. A further 13 were impeded by Israeli authorities and six were cancelled due to logistical and security reasons, the OCHA reports.
Out of 122 aid missions coordinated with Israeli authorities to southern Gaza, 36 were denied, eight were impeded and 15 were cancelled.
The blocking of aid missions “undermine[s] efforts to address urgent humanitarian needs”, the UN said.
#Gaza
- School hosting hundreds was struck by the Israeli military, mass casualties reported.
- More than 50% of schools used as shelters have been directly hit.
- To date, about 84% of the Gaza Strip has been placed under evacuation orders.
More 👉🏽: https://t.co/BoU6VrKzgL pic.twitter.com/i45uf4spgL
— OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) August 12, 2024
Aid trucks entering Gaza between October and July
