Authorities at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, the main hospital in the central Gaza Strip, have warned that they are about to halt health services due to running out of fuel.
“Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is about to announce a halt to its medical and health services because of the lack of fuel,” the Gaza-based government media office reportedly said in a statement.
Electricity was cut off from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah last night due to fuel depletion, posing a danger to children. pic.twitter.com/JbR04kOBlu
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) January 13, 2024
It said that a quantity of fuel was supposed to be delivered to the hospital on Thursday, but the “procrastination from relevant bodies” in bringing the fuel has put patients’ lives in danger, reports the Anadolu News Agency. The media office did not name the parties concerned.
“We hold the concerned bodies responsible for this catastrophe or any death cases in the critical care units and the incubators,” the statement also reportedly said.
The government media office earlier said electricity was cut off in the hospital due to a lack of fuel, warning of a “new humanitarian catastrophe”, Anadolu reported.
From inside the ICU and newborn incubators sections following a power outage at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital due to fuel depletion. pic.twitter.com/Ve8ffwjKI9
— Wafa News Agency – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) January 13, 2024
On Wednesday, the United Nations Relief Chief, Martin Griffiths, warned that the health sector in Gaza “is being slowly choked off” as hospitals continue to come under fire.
“This war needs to end,” the UN chief said in a post on X.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 23,843 Palestinians have been killed, and 60,317 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(PC, Anadolu)
