Crisis in Gaza: Hospitals on the Brink of Collapse, Aid Stuck at Border
Hospitals in Gaza are on the brink of collapse as water, power, and medicine neared depletion, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians faced dwindling food supplies as Israel maintained punishing airstrikes in retaliation for last week’s deadly rampage by Hamas.
Aid Stuck at the Border
More than a week after Israel stopped entry of essential supplies, all eyes are on the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Trucks carrying badly needed aid have waited there for days unable to pass through. Israeli airstrikes last week forced the shutdown of Rafah, Gaza’s only connection to Egypt.
International Pressure Mounts
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Israel “has not taken a position” on allowing access. The Israeli government did not respond to a request for comment. UN officials are struggling to broker a cease-fire to let in aid waiting at the Egyptian border.
Israel Prepares Ground Offensive
As Israel prepares a likely ground offensive into Gaza that would mean deadly house-to-house fighting, fears rose over the conflict spreading. Israel evacuated towns near its northern border with Lebanon. Hamas militants in Gaza continue to fire rockets into Israel.
Warnings from Israeli PM
Speaking to the Israeli Knesset on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran and Hezbollah, “Don’t test us in the north. Don’t make the mistake of the past. Today, the price you will pay will be far heavier,” referring to Israel’s 2006 war with Hezbollah, which operates out of Lebanon.
Deadliest Gaza War
This has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides. At least 2,778 have been killed and 9,700 wounded in Gaza, according to the Heath Ministry there. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, the vast majority civilians in Hamas’ October 7 assault. The Israeli military said Monday that at least 199 hostages were taken back in Gaza, higher than previous estimates. The military did not specify whether that number includes foreigners.
Upheaval in Gaza
The combination of airstrikes that pulverize entire neighbourhoods, depleting supplies, and Israel’s mass evacuation order for the north of the Gaza Strip has thrown the tiny territory’s 2.3 million people into upheaval. More than 1 million have fled their homes, and 60 per cent of them are now in the approximately 14-kilometre-long (8 mile) area south of the evacuation zone, according to the UN.
UNRWA Struggles to Assist
Those fleeing northern Gaza still face the threat of airstrikes in the south. More than 400,000 displaced people in the south are crowded in schools and other facilities of the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA. But the agency can’t provide them aid, leaving them to search for water and food. UNRWA said it has only 1 litre of water a day for each of its staff members trapped in the territory.
FILE – Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Yassin Mosque destroyed after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike at Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, early Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, says it is trying to take action on a flood of posts sharing graphic media, violent speech and hateful conduct about the latest war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)
Conclusion
The situation in Gaza is dire, with hospitals on the brink of collapse and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians facing dwindling food supplies. The international community is under pressure to broker a cease-fire to let in aid, but the conflict continues to escalate.
FAQs
Q: What is the current situation in Gaza?
A: Hospitals are on the brink of collapse, water and power are dwindling, and food supplies are running low.
Q: What is the cause of the crisis?
A: Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for last week’s deadly rampage by Hamas.
Q: What is being done to address the crisis?
A: The international community is trying to broker a cease-fire to let in aid, but Israel has not taken a position on allowing access.
Q: What is the latest death toll?
A: At least 2,778 have been killed and 9,700 wounded in Gaza, according to the Heath Ministry there. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, the vast majority civilians in Hamas’ October 7 assault.