RAMALLAH, Saturday, November 18, 2023 (WAFA) – Minister of Health, Mai Alkaila, said today that the Israeli occupation is committing a genocide against the entire healthcare system in the Gaza Strip, including hospitals, medical doctors, and patients.
Speaking at a press conference held at the ministry's headquarters in Ramallah, Alkaila called on the United Nations, international health organizations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to exert pressure on Israel to allow the transport of the remaining children and patients from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to hospitals in the West Bank or Egypt.
Alkaila held Israeli authorities fully responsible for their lives. She questioned, “How long hospitals, patients, and medical teams in Gaza and the West Bank would remain hostages to the onslaught, destruction, targeting, and blockade by the Israeli occupation forces without accountability or condemnation from the international community?”
She highlighted that no hospital in Gaza has the capacity to accommodate the massive number of wounded under nonstop Israeli bombardment. The Minister questioned Israel’s rationale behind preventing the entry of medicines and depriving patients of their right to receive treatment, especially children in need of oxygen, mothers in need of safe childbirth, and patients of kidney failure in need of dialysis.
"Where is the stance of doctors and healthcare professionals worldwide regarding the atrocities committed against their colleagues in the Palestinian healthcare sector in Gaza and the West Bank? They were once your fellow students in the United States, Europe, Russia, and Arab countries," Alkaila addressed the global health community.
The Minister expressed concern over the spread of numerous infectious diseases, including diarrheal diseases affecting over 50,000 individuals, predominantly children. Respiratory infections and skin diseases such as chickenpox and scabies have also surged in Gaza, she added, citing reports from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Alkaila called for an immediate cessation of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, demanding a halt to the targeting, shelling, and blockade of medical and healthcare facilities.
The Health Minister emphasized the need to allow the entry of badly needed humanitarian and medical supplies into Gaza, especially fuel necessary for operation of power generators at hospitals. Additionally, she urged the admission of volunteer medical teams to support healthcare personnel in Gaza in treating patients and casualties.
M.N
