The dire situation in Gaza continues to worsen as overwhelmed medics work tirelessly to save victims of missile strikes, including attacks near refugee camps in the central part of the devastated enclave.
According to the UN health agency, the attacks have killed well over 100 people, with reports of a significant number of casualties in Al-Maghazi refugee camp.
Sean Casey, the Emergency Medical Teams coordinator for the World Health Organization (WHO), described the overwhelming conditions at Al-Aqsa Hospital, where “100-plus patients” were rushed in within 30 minutes, all requiring urgent treatment for serious wounds. Another “about 100” lifeless bodies were also brought to the hospital during the same period.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) expressed deep concern over the ongoing intense bombing of central Gaza, involving more than 50 strikes by the Israeli Defense Forces.
The attacks have claimed over 100 Palestinian lives since December 24, with particular alarm raised as Israeli forces ordered residents to move from the south of Wadi Gaza to Middle Gaza and Tal al-Sultan in Rafah.
Refugee camps, including Al Bureij, Al-Nuseirat, and Al-Maghazi, were targeted, resulting in tragic consequences.
OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango revealed that two strikes hit seven residential buildings in Al-Maghazi camp, leading to an estimated 86 Palestinians killed, with many more injured, and an unknown number believed to be trapped under the rubble.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the “carnage” caused by Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for previous terror attacks by Hamas.
He expressed extreme concern about the strain on the few remaining hospitals across Gaza, with the health system decimated and struggling to cope.
Sean Casey, in a social media post, characterized the situation in Al-Aqsa Hospital as a “bloodbath,” recounting the devastating injuries suffered by individuals, including a nine-year-old boy named Ahmed.
The hospitals are overwhelmed with trauma cases, making it challenging to provide lifesaving treatment.
A joint WHO and UN aid coordination office visit to Al-Aqsa Hospital on Christmas Day revealed that, despite having medical supplies and fuel for generators, the facility was taking in more patients than it could handle, jeopardizing the chances of survival for many injured individuals.
The broader context in Gaza is dire, with hospital capacity reduced to about 20% of its pre-escalation levels.
Almost all hospital services have ceased due to various factors, including damage to facilities, staff displacement, power shortages, and a lack of medical supplies.
As health facilities become less accessible and health workers are displaced, the humanitarian crisis deepens.
The logistical challenges of reaching vulnerable populations are exacerbated by the extensive destruction of infrastructure, hindering efforts to move gravely ill patients.
The latest data from Gaza’s Ministry of Health indicates that around 20,000 people are believed to have been killed in the ongoing escalation.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports record levels of Palestinian properties demolished and related displacement, further compounding the region’s humanitarian challenges.
