AhlulBayt News Agency: The head of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza Strip, Amjad Al-Shawa, has warned of a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the enclave, amid the continued closure of the Rafah land crossing and the prevention of the entry of essential humanitarian aid, which exacerbates the suffering of the population and threatens the lives of thousands of patients and wounded.
Al-Shawa said, in press statements on Saturday, that no fewer than 18,500 patients and wounded need immediate referral for treatment outside the Strip, at a time when the health system is suffering from an almost complete collapse as a result of continuous bombardment and shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
Al-Shawa called on the American envoys to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to exert urgent pressure on Israel to open the crossings and allow the entry of aid without restrictions, noting that about 90% of the Strip’s residents have become entirely dependent on humanitarian aid to secure their basic needs.
He added that the harsh living conditions, and the absence of heating and shelter, have led to a large number of children being afflicted with diseases related to cold exposure and malnutrition, confirming that deaths have been recorded among them during the past weeks.
In the field context, Al-Shawa pointed out that the Israeli occupation forces have crossed what is known as the “yellow line” and expanded their deployment inside the Gaza Strip, in a clear violation of the existing arrangements. He explained that the percentage of areas under occupation control has risen from about 53% before the ceasefire came into effect to more than 60% currently, amid ongoing military expansion.
Israel had taken control in May 2024 of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, as part of a large-scale war on the Gaza Strip that began on 7 October 2023, which resulted in widespread destruction of infrastructure and health and water facilities.
Despite the start of a first phase of the ceasefire on 10 October last year, based on a plan announced by US President Donald Trump, Israel continued to violate the agreement on an almost daily basis, which led, according to Palestinian medical sources, to the killing of 477 Palestinians and the injury of 1,301 others since it came into effect.
Al-Shawa’s warnings align with reports issued by the World Health Organization, which confirmed that the health system in Gaza is operating at less than 30% of its capacity, and that thousands of patients, especially cancer patients, kidney failure patients, and those with severe injuries, are facing the risk of death due to being prevented from traveling for treatment.
Doctors Without Borders also warned that the Israeli restrictions imposed on the entry of food, medicines, and shelter materials have caused a sharp rise in rates of malnutrition, particularly among children and pregnant women, affirming that what is happening in Gaza “is not merely a humanitarian crisis, but a systematic moral and humanitarian failure.”
About 2.4 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip under conditions described as the worst in decades, amid a suffocating siege, a severe shortage of food and potable drinking water, and the collapse of health services, alongside UN warnings of a comprehensive humanitarian catastrophe if the crossings remain closed and the flow of aid continues to be blocked.
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