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Fuel running out at Gaza hospitals amid Israeli assault on Rafah: WHO

Wednesday, 08 May 2024 6:34 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 08 May 2024 7:03 PM ]

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in the eastern part of Gaza's southern city of Rafah. (Reuters)

The World Health Organization has warned that hospitals in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza urgently need medical supplies and fuel.

The warning came after the UN health agency said Israel had denied delivery of fuel to the area on Wednesday. The hospitals only have fuel to operate for the next two to three days.

“WHO has pre-positioned some supplies in warehouses and hospitals, but without more aid flowing into Gaza, we cannot sustain our life-saving support to hospitals,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

WHO also said Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah was already no longer functional, one of three hospitals in the city. Some equipment has been moved to field hospitals.

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris also confirmed the entry of humanitarian and medical supplies to Gaza has “stopped completely.” She warned the outbreak of diseases could become a “death sentence” for malnourished children across Gaza.

“We, as humans, must not let this continue. Please, please have a ceasefire now,” Harris said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says the group will be unable to carry out its operations in Gaza if the military operation in Rafah continues.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge in the south of the Gaza Strip since early October.

People are also pouring into central Gaza by the thousands, mainly to Deir el-Balah, after Israel’s seizure of the vital Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt.

Israel keeps bombing Rafah as truce talks resume in Cairo

The bombardment of Rafah comes despite Hamas agreeing to the proposed truce deal put forward by mediators.

The United States, the great benefactor of Israel, has reportedly paused a shipment of bombs after the regime failed to address US concerns over its Rafah plans.

In Washington, Bernie Sanders, a US senator defended the decision to halt the arms shipment. “This must be a first step. The US must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation,” Sanders said in a statement.

“Our leverage is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”

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