Gaza Hospitals Warn Thousands Could Die Due To Israeli Offensive

Medics in Gaza have warned that thousands could die if hospitals packed with wounded people run out of fuel and basic supplies, as civilians struggled to find food, water and safety ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive in the war sparked by Hamas’ deadly attack last week, Najib Jobain, Joseph Krauss and Samya Kullab reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The battlefield of a conflict that has resulted in a myriad of casualties despite being in its very early stages I Photo: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023

Israeli forces positioned themselves along Gaza’s border and drilled for what Israel said would be a broad campaign to dismantle Hamas. A week of blistering air strikes have failed to stem militant rocket fire into Israel.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the evacuation “could be tantamount to a death sentence” for the more than 2,000 patients in hospitals, including newborns in incubators and people in intensive care.

Gaza’s hospitals are expected to run out of generator fuel within two days, and this would endanger the lives of thousands of patients.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,329 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting erupted, more than in the 2014 Gaza war, which lasted over six weeks. That makes this the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides.

More than 1,300 Israelis have been killed, the vast majority of them civilians killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 assault. This is the deadliest war for Israel since the 1973 conflict with Egypt and Syria, Julia Frankel, Abby Sewell and Samy Magdy also reported for AP.

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