Oct 15, 2023
In light of Israel’s recent decision to stage a full-blown blockage of the Gaza Strip, there is an urgent need to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate all those inhered in the Palestinian enclave, Dr. Muhammad Salima, director of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, told Sputnik.
The Israeli military has stated that they are gearing up for the next stages of the war with Hamas, including “combined and coordinated strikes from the air, sea and land” in response to last week’s attack on the Jewish state staged by the militant group.
This was preceded by the Israeli government announcing a complete water, electricity and food blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is currently under permanent fire of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The number of injured people in Gaza had already exceeded the capacity of the Al-Shifa medical complex, the largest in the Palestinian enclave, Dr. Muhammad Salima said.
“In just eight days, the number of casualties and injured has exceeded the total number of casualties in 51 days of the 2014 conflict. The injured we find in the streets can’t even be admitted to the hospital, as our operating rooms and intensive care units are completely full. Capacity has been stretched to the limit, and we are even using pediatric and maternity beds. We have reached the point where we have to compare the injuries,” Salima pointed out.
The Al-Shifa hospital head added that he urges the international community to add to ceasing hostilities “immediately” and “establish safe humanitarian corridors to allow the evacuation of the injured from Gaza, [as well as] to provide the necessary medical equipment, including hospital beds and medicines, to establish field hospitals, and to ensure the hospital’s fuel supply.”
Salima warned that the hospital “will become a mass grave if the generators run out of fuel due to the complete power cut.
The hospital’s director also said that he is in constant contact with the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross, and all organizations working in Gaza. According to him, the International Red Cross and all international organizations cannot move without permission from the Israelis.
Salima added that more than 40 ambulances have already been affected by “these unprecedented crimes”.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack on Israel, firing a barrage of missiles toward the Jewish state and catching the IDF off guard. As a result, numerous civilians along with military personnel were killed or taken hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then declared a state of war as the IDF launched its Iron Swords military operation, and embarked on hammering the Gaza Strip with airstrikes.
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