The United Nations has assessed the damage of the past few days in the Gaza Strip. Not only houses, but also other essential infrastructure was damaged by the rocket attacks. The Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah and the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza were damaged. Just like health clinics in Khan Younis and Gaza. Four schools and the office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) were also hit by shrapnel.
Since Tuesday, 33 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip, many of them children. In Israel, an Israeli woman and a Palestinian worker were killed by rockets.
But rocket attacks are not the only causes of the humanitarian damage in the Gaza Strip.
Humanitarian situation worsened as border crossings closed
The Gaza Strip has been cut off from Israel and neighboring Egypt for 16 years because Hamas now controls it. Normally, it is already very difficult for Palestinians to enter or leave the Gaza Strip because they need a permit to do so.
In the event of missile attacks, the checkpoints are completely locked. On Saturday, an exception was only made for about 300 foreigners who were detained in the Gaza Strip.
This has a major impact on basic living conditions in the Gaza Strip. For example, food shortages threatened and the only power station in the Gaza Strip would have to stop working next Monday because no more fuel could be supplied. This was announced on Saturday afternoon at a press conference of the power station.
According to the International Red Cross, this worsens the already difficult humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. “The closure has life-threatening consequences, especially for those who have to leave Gaza for critical medical care that is not available in Gaza. This also applies to people with chronic illnesses, such as those with cancer. By blocking fuel imports, the power station that supplying the Gaza Strip with electricity will run at reduced capacity. We know this will affect essential services, such as water supply and health care.”
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For cancer patients, crossing the border is equivalent to life
Dina El-Dhani from Gaza is one of 432 cancer patients who have been unable to receive proper medical attention in the past five days due to border crossings being closed. She had an appointment with her oncologist at a hospital in Jerusalem this week, she tells the news agency Reuters. There she would be told what kind of treatment she would receive for radiation.
“Do I have to wait two months for a new appointment?” said 40-year-old El-Dhani. “The border crossing is equivalent to life, because the kind of treatment we need does not exist in the Gaza Strip.” Due to a shortage of medical equipment and medicines, hospitals in the Gaza Strip cannot provide adequate medical care for cancer patients. Therefore, most patients go to Israel, the West Bank or other countries for medical care.
The director of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, Omar Shakir, welcomed the ceasefire on Twitter. But, he warns, this will not bring an end to the occupation and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Saturday night in Gaza is celebrated for the ceasefire.
2023-05-13 22:00:00
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