North Gaza doctors performing surgeries with limited resources

By Esat Firay and Muhammed Macid

GAZA (AA) - Palestinian doctors are performing surgeries on those injured in Israeli attacks at Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip despite the limited resources available.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there is a severe shortage of medical supplies and medicine in hospitals in the Gaza Strip due to Israel's ongoing blockade and attacks.

On May 7, Andrea de Domenico, the humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, warned that without the resumption of fuel supplies, essential sectors would come to a standstill within days.

De Domenico noted that food distribution to Gaza's south ceased after May 6, warning that if the situation persists, food stocks will deplete by the weekend.

He emphasized that the scarcity risk extends beyond Gaza's north to the south.

- %90 of doctors displaced

Muhammad Salha, an official at Al-Awda Hospital, told Anadolu: "Due to Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, hospitals in northern Gaza suffer from a shortage of medical personnel and supplies."

Salha emphasized that the increasing number of injuries due to Israeli attacks has significantly limited hospitals' ability to perform surgical operations.

Due to the ongoing Israeli attacks, close to 90% of doctors have been forced to seek refuge in the southern Gaza Strip, resulting in a severe shortage of essential healthcare personnel, he said.

Salha urged international organizations and the World Health Organization to "pull doctors to hospitals in the north due to urgent need."

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics data dated April 28, 2024, the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip has suffered extensive damage.

More than 50% of buildings have been destroyed and 360,000 structures in the Gaza Strip have been partially damaged or completely destroyed.

It's indicated that 25,000 buildings in the Gaza Strip have suffered severe damage or been completely destroyed, along with 305 schools or universities, with 100 of them being completely demolished.

Data showing serious damage to healthcare institutions reveals that 32 hospitals are out of service.

About 25 hospitals have been damaged due to missile attacks, and 649 healthcare facilities have been affected.

Since Oct. 7, at least 34,900 Palestinians, including 14,944 children and 9,849 women, have been killed, and 78,514 people have been injured in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

While thousands of dead are reportedly still under the rubble, civilian infrastructure is being destroyed, targeting hospitals and educational institutions where people seek refuge.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Necva Taştan in Istanbul