ICRC urges protection for medical facilities, staff in Gaza
Gaza: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday urged protection for medical facilities and workers in the Gaza Strip, as they were facing a severe lack of security amid persistent Israeli attacks.
The ICRC emphasized in a statement that the whole medical system in Gaza has been affected by the Israeli attacks, with medical professionals even being killed and detained.
In the statement, William Schomburg, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Gaza, highlighted that the shortage of equipment and essential supplies due to the ongoing Israeli hostilities has led to the complete shutdown of most hospitals in the enclave.
He stressed the necessity of respecting healthcare facilities and workers, calling for protecting them under international humanitarian law, so as to provide life-saving treatment to those in need.
According to the Gaza-based government media office, 326 medical personnel and 45 civil defense members have been killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 last year.
As of Jan. 3, only 13 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals have been partially functional, with nine in the south and four in the north, reported the World Health Organization.
The Gaza-based Health Ministry said the occupancy rates reached 206 percent in internal medicine departments of hospitals and 250 percent in intensive care units.