The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza issued an urgent warning on Tuesday regarding an imminent humanitarian disaster that threatens the lives of thousands of patients and wounded individuals, especially in Gaza City, as Israeli occupation intensifies its ongoing war of extermination.
In a statement on Facebook, the ministry stressed the need for immediate protection of hospitals and medical staff, calling on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene urgently and establish safe corridors to access hospitals in the governorate.
The ministry described the medical situation as deteriorating rapidly, with increasing attacks severely hampering the ability to provide healthcare and placing patients’ lives at grave risk.
Hospitals Under Siege
Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of Health in Gaza, warned of the grave consequences of forced hospital evacuations ordered by Israeli occupation forces, particularly for hundreds of patients in intensive care units who rely on ventilators. “Evacuating them is a death sentence,” he stated.
“We will not leave our hospitals, nor abandon our patients—death would be the only alternative,” Al-Bursh declared, affirming that medical teams have resolved to remain beside the patients despite all threats.
UN Human Rights Chief Sounds Alarm
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed deep concern over what he termed “genocidal rhetoric” coming from Israeli occupation officials regarding Gaza. He described the Strip as having become “an open graveyard” for Palestinian civilians and warned of continued mass killings.
Türk urged the international community to act swiftly to end the bloodshed, describing the conditions in Gaza as a war crime in progress and condemning ongoing violations against journalists, UN staff, and humanitarian workers.
Famine, Mass Displacement, and Rising Death Toll
The UN estimates that about one million people remain in and around Gaza City. It officially declared a state of famine in the Strip last month and warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe if the Israeli assault continues.
According to UN reports, Gaza’s situation has reached unprecedented levels of critical need, exacerbated by a complete lack of humanitarian aid, severe food insecurity, and unrelenting blockade policies.
Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation military—backed by the U.S.—has carried out a relentless campaign of mass killings in Gaza. The latest figures put the death toll at 64,522 Palestinians killed and 163,096 injured, most of whom are women and children.
In addition, the region faces mass displacement, with hundreds of thousands of civilians losing their homes, and famine claiming the lives of 393 people, including 140 children. These atrocities paint a devastating picture of life in Gaza under continuous bombardment and global silence.
