THE World Health Organisation says nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s health facilities have ceased functioning.
A total of 46 out of 72 healthcare facilities – including 12 out of 35 hospitals – have stopped functioning across Gaza, the WHO said.
Palestinian health officials said the lack of electricity and fuel to power generators from an Israeli blockade, as well as damage from air strikes, has forced many of the facilities to close.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza claimed on Tuesday that Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip had killed more than 700 people in the past day.
Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the attack on towns in southern Israel on October 7 by Hamas.
A third small aid convoy entered Gaza on Monday carrying only a tiny fraction of the cargo aid groups say is necessary.
In a statement, the WHO said: "WHO remains unable to distribute fuel and essential, life-saving health supplies to major hospitals in northern Gaza due to lack of security guarantees. WHO calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire so health supplies and fuel can be delivered safely throughout the Gaza Strip.
"Some of the facilities waiting for WHO supplies and fuel in northern Gaza include Al-Shifa hospital, where bed occupancy is already close to 150%. Last night, the Indonesian Hospital was forced to shut down some critical services due to lack of fuel, and is now running with limited functionality. The Turkish Friendship Hospital, the only oncology hospital in the Gaza Strip, remains partially functional due to lack of fuel, putting around 2000 cancer patients at risk.
"In addition to the hospitals that have had to close due to damage and attacks, six hospitals across the Gaza Strip have already shut down due to lack of fuel. Unless vital fuel and additional health supplies are urgently delivered into Gaza, thousands of vulnerable patients risk death or medical complications as critical services shut down due to lack of power.
"These include 1000 patients dependent on dialysis, 130 premature babies who need a range of care, and patients in intensive care or requiring surgery who depend on a stable and uninterrupted supply of electricity to stay alive. Yesterday, WHO, with support from UNRWA, delivered 34,000 litres of fuel to four major hospitals in southern Gaza and the Palestine Red Crescent Society to sustain its ambulance services. However, this is only enough to keep ambulances and critical hospital functions running for a little over 24 hours."
They added: "For people in the Gaza Strip, the situation is desperate. It will become catastrophic without the safe and continuous passage of fuel and health supplies, and additional humanitarian assistance. reiterates its calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire for the safe delivery of health supplies and fuel throughout the Gaza Strip."
Tamira Alrifai, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said the 54 trucks that entered Gaza over the last several days was a “trickle” compared with the 500 trucks a day that entered before the war.
She said UN negotiators were “very, very far away” from getting an agreement to send the sustained aid into Gaza that is needed.
With Israel still barring the entry of fuel, the United Nations said aid distribution would soon grind to a halt when it can no longer fuel trucks inside Gaza.
