As blood banks become dry, Gaza’s already depressed healthcare system is crumbling, and Israeli forces continue to attack hospitals and facilities that house patients and displaced people while preserving an aid censorship.
According to a report released on Wednesday by healthcare officials in the besieged enclave, there is a severe shortage of blood because many potential donors are underfed due to the severe Israeli-induced hunger crisis, which has so far claimed the lives of 193 Palestinians, including five in the past 24 hours.
Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Aqsa Hospital, and Nasser Hospital are the only remaining operational medical facilities in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, who was based in Gaza City.
According to Mahmoud, “we’ve seen at the blood banks many people beg doctors to let them donate blood so they could save their loved ones,” but they were turned down because they were deemed ineligible due to the forced dehydration and starvation.
Most would-be donors who arrive at al-Shifa Hospital are malnourished, according to Amani Abu Ouda, head of the blood bank, which has an impact on the safety and quality of blood donations.
She claimed that as a result, “blood donors could lose consciousness in as little as two seconds, which would put their health at risk as well as result in the loss of a priceless blood unit.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) head has warned that more than 14, 800 patients in Gaza still require specialized medical care, and that the international community should act right away.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged more nations to step forward to accept patients and to expedite medical evacuations using all possible means.
At least 44 people were killed in Israeli attacks that have been continuing in Gaza on Wednesday.
Numerous people were injured in a sudden attack in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. The UN refugee agency for Palestinians, which was established prior to the attack, was at work there.
“We overheard people shouting and requesting evacuation last night while we were having dinner.” Nothing could be taken away from the time there, including clothing, bedding, and food. We simply ran, Palestinian resident and displaced person Ghaleb Tafesh told Al Jazeera.
18 hungry aid seekers were among the 19 people killed on Wednesday as they approached UN aid trucks and distribution centers supported by GHF and US-backed GHF.
Since GHF began operating in late May, more than 1, 560 Palestinians who were requesting aid have been killed by Israeli forces.
A group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be abolished this week, citing its “utterly disturbing illustration of how humanitarian aid can be used to advance covert military and geopolitical goals in grave violation of international law.”
Gaza’s population relies on aid because of Israel’s air and ground assault, which has also nearly completely destroyed the country’s capacity for producing food.
Only 8.6 percent of Gaza’s cropland is still accessible in recent months, according to a new report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and UN satellite center. According to the statement, only 1.5 percent of the damage is preventable.
Medical supplies and fuel are both subject to the Israeli blockade.
Hamas, in contrast, demanded global demonstrations against Gaza’s starvation.
In a statement from Hamas, “We call for the popular pressure to increase on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as all the upcoming days with marches, protests, and demonstrations in front of the Zionist and US embassies,” the statement read.
The blockade includes both urgently needed fuel and medical supplies, which have forced several medical facilities to close in recent months.
According to Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Israeli forces’ continued blockade of Gaza’s fuel supply is having an impact on “lifesaving” operations.
According to Haq, “the UN collected about 300,000 litres from the Karem Abu Salem]Kerem Shalom] crossing in the last two days.”
He claimed that this is much less than what is required to sustain operations. Our partners in the field of health, for instance, warned today that the lack of fuel is putting more than 100 premature babies’ lives in immediate danger.
Additionally, according to Haq, more than 100 health workers, including surgeons and specialized staff, have been denied entry to the Strip since March.
Concerns grow over potential military offensive plans in Gaza.
The latest deaths occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to declare additional military action and possible Israeli military withdrawals from Gaza. According to experts, some 2 million Palestinians’ territories are already famine-prone as a result of Israel’s ongoing offensive and blockade.
If true, the UN has called rumors about an éventuel expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza “deeply alarming.”
Israeli and Hamas’ efforts to arrange a truce have failed despite international pressure for a ceasefire.
It would likely be devastating if the military offensive was extended to densely populated areas.
What will we do next? Tamer al-Burai, a Palestinian who has fled Gaza and resides near Deir el-Balah, claimed.
If the tanks came in, should people jump into the sea or wait until their homes were destroyed? We want to see this war end because that is sufficient.
Since the war broke out in Gaza in October 2023, more than 61 Palestinians have died, including at least 18 430 children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
