Press Release- RAMALLAH, Saturday, October 28, 2023 – Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Alkaila, said today that the Israeli occupation is killing any hope of survival for the wounded and those trapped under the rubble in Gaza as a result of the brutal Israeli aggression on the territory.
In a press release, she said the dilemma in Gaza has particularly worsened after the Israeli occupation authorities cut off all telecommunication lines in the Strip, further complicating the dire situation.
Alkaila pointed out that numerous massacres were perpetrated against civilians in Gaza last night amid a complete blackout of electricity and communication, hampering the arrival of rescue and medical teams at the areas hit by Israeli strikes and disrupting coordination among medical personnel, hospitals, and emergency response centers.
The Health Minister described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as indescribably dire, with over 7,300 citizens killed, including approximately 70% children, women, and the elderly, since the Israeli aggression began on October 7. Additionally, nearly 19,000 people have been injured, with thousands still trapped under the rubble.
“What is happening in Gaza is a genocide. The occupation is killing civilians and healthcare workers, destroying treatment centers and ambulances, withholding the necessary fuel for hospitals, blocking the entry of critical medical supplies, and preventing the injured and sick from leaving the Gaza Strip for treatment,” Alkaila stressed.
“Furthermore, they [Israel] are denying entry to volunteer medical teams. On top of all, they escalated their aggression by cutting off all communication lines, isolating the enclave from the world,” she said.
The Health Minister explained that since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, the Ministry of Health has been appealing to all countries, international organizations, and institutions to save the people of Gaza and ramp up international pressure to stop the inhumane Israeli aggression and to allow medical and humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Alkaila added, “Displaced citizens who are currently seeking refuge in shelters and schools are suffering from the rapid spread of diseases, a lack of clean water, and overcrowding in extremely poor sanitary conditions. This is in addition to the tremendous hardships they endure due to forced displacement by the occupation, which involves the shelling of their homes and the killing and injury of their loved ones.”
