50 Red Cross Workers Killed in Gaza as 94% of Medical Facilities Destroyed
The World Health Organization reported that 94% of Gaza’s medical facilities have been directly damaged, with half of all hospitals completely out of service.
Kate Forbes, spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Al-Jazeera that 50 of the organization’s staff members have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli war.
“There is no safe place in Gaza,” Forbes said, adding that “even medical personnel are now starving.”
She called for the immediate entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid, emphasizing the urgent need to protect medical and aid workers who are operating under impossible conditions amidst intense Israeli bombardment.
Health System on the Brink of Collapse
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported that 94% of Gaza’s medical facilities have been directly damaged, with half of all hospitals completely out of service.
The WHO urged for the swift entry of food and medical supplies, the protection of its Gaza headquarters, and the release of a detained staff member arrested on Monday.
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Despite the escalating danger, UN staff continue to deliver humanitarian aid from Deir al-Balah. The WHO warned of the dire need to protect health workers and medical facilities from repeated attacks.
Hospitals Facing Imminent Shutdown
Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, warned that hospital services could grind to a halt within hours due to fuel shortages. He described a “severe crisis” caused by the lack of fuel, medical supplies, and staff.
Medical examinations, he explained, are conducted with great difficulty due to overwhelming patient numbers and a rise in disease outbreaks, particularly among children. Water contamination, food scarcity, and overcrowding have worsened the situation.
“Half of the central governorate is under total siege,” Al-Daqran said, stressing that civilians and medical teams have no safe refuge, and even children waiting for aid are being targeted.
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He condemned the international silence in the face of the “health and humanitarian catastrophe,” stating that Gaza’s hospitals are no longer able to provide basic care for more than 1.5 million displaced and injured people.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed by the United States—has waged a genocidal war on Gaza, killing and wounding over 200,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Thousands remain missing, hundreds of thousands are displaced, and famine has claimed countless lives.
(PC, AJA)