The International Commission “Hashd” Warns of Rising Mortality Rates Among Patients and the Injured Due to the Destruction of the Health Sector and Calls for the Provision of Treatment and the Supply of Necessary Fuel to Operate Hospitals
Date: 17 Oct 2024
Press Release
The International Commission “Hashd” Warns of Rising Mortality Rates Among Patients and the Injured Due to the Destruction of the Health Sector and Calls for the Provision of Treatment and the Supply of Necessary Fuel to Operate Hospitals
The International Commission to Support the Rights of the Palestinian People (Hashd) states that Israel has continued its war on the Gaza Strip for over a year, disregarding the measures of the International Court of Justice, international humanitarian law, international human rights standards, and UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, which call for an end to the genocide that has so far resulted in the death and disappearance of 55,000 individuals, and injuries to 98,000 others, 70% of whom are children and women. Additionally, 2 million people have been forcibly and repeatedly displaced, and 85% of homes, civilian objects, and infrastructure have been destroyed, especially health facilities deliberately targeted, bombed, raided, and turned into massacre sites for displaced civilians and patients. Medical staff have been detained, killed, and assaulted, leading to the collapse of the health system. As of now, 898 medical personnel have been killed, 34 hospitals have been rendered non-functional, and the main hospital buildings in Gaza, including Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Al-Quds Hospital, and Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital, have been completely destroyed. Additionally, 160 health institutions and centers have been affected, and 131 ambulances have been destroyed.
The International Commission “Hashd”: states that the systematic targeting of hospitals and medical staff, as part of the crime of genocide, has led to the collapse of the health sector’s ability to provide services, and the hospitals’ ability to treat the wounded and sick has been severely weakened. Medical staff are overwhelmed due to repeated massacres and international crimes, further worsening the conditions of the wounded and sick, and leading to thousands of deaths.
The International Commission “Hashd”: points out that the aggression has halted most surgical operations due to the destruction of hospitals and medical equipment, and the lack of essential supplies, medications, and medical equipment. Additionally, conducting laboratory tests has become difficult, aggravating the suffering of over 350,000 patients with various diseases, especially chronic conditions such as diabetes, with about 2,000 patients depending on insulin, without which they cannot survive. Patients with chronic respiratory conditions like lung disease and asthma are experiencing suffocation from the dust caused by explosions, without receiving immediate treatment. More than 1,200 kidney dialysis patients, including around 40 children, are at risk of death. Moreover, 10,000 cancer patients are facing life-threatening situations due to the lack of treatment after the direct shelling of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which specializes in cancer treatment. These patients suffer from the unavailability of necessary medications, which are being blocked from entering the Gaza Strip.
The International Commission “Hashd”: asserts that the continued tightening of the blockade, the imposition of collective punishment, the closure of border crossings, and the prevention and obstruction of the entry of essential needs, humanitarian aid, and fuel have led to an unprecedented spread of epidemic diseases in Gaza, increasing four to five times from the levels before the war. This is due to the lack of clean water, food scarcity, weakened collective immunity, destruction of infrastructure and sewage treatment plants, water contamination, the unavailability of medications and cleaning materials, and overcrowding in tents and shelters where nearly two million displaced people are living under harsh conditions. The spread of these diseases is estimated at approximately 1,737,524 cases since the war began. With the destruction of hospitals and the deliberate prevention of fuel entry necessary for hospital operations by Israeli forces, the health sector in Gaza has collapsed, with the remaining facilities serving no more than 15% of the injured and wounded during the aggression period. The sector is incapable of supporting chronic disease patients or handling epidemic diseases caused by overcrowding in shelters, which has led to further deterioration of humanitarian conditions, resulting in the death of at least 6,500 people due to hunger, disease outbreaks, and lack of treatment.
The International Commission “Hashd”: states that the health and humanitarian situation, along with the suffering of Gaza’s residents, is worsening daily due to the continued closure of border crossings by occupation forces, the obstruction of humanitarian aid and medical supplies, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, and the denial of thousands of wounded and sick individuals from traveling abroad for treatment. The occupation of the Rafah crossing by the Palestinian side on May 7, 2024, significantly affected the entry of aid, medical equipment, and medications, as well as the movement of travelers, patients, and the wounded. It is worth noting that before the Rafah crossing was closed, 5,000 injured people had traveled for treatment, representing only 8% of the total injured. With 25,000 wounded and sick people needing to travel outside the Gaza Strip for necessary medical services, including those with chronic diseases, cancer patients, dialysis patients, and the injured, the ongoing situation has led to the deaths of thousands and continues to threaten the lives of thousands more, causing catastrophic consequences that cannot be mitigated.
The International Commission “Hashd”: emphasizes that the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, the deliberate targeting of civilians and medical personnel, extrajudicial killings, mass killings in shelters, hospitals, and homes, targeting of civilian property and health facilities, and the imposition of a blockade and border closures constitute state-organized terrorism and a severe violation of international law. These actions are classified as war crimes, falling under the definition of genocide as outlined in international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
The International Commission “Hashd”: warns against the continued targeting of health facilities and medical personnel by occupation forces and its impact on the lives of civilians, wounded, and sick individuals who are deprived of proper treatment. The commission calls for immediate intervention to force the Israeli occupation to cease its aggression, genocidal war, and all ongoing military actions in Gaza. It urges the opening of border crossings to ensure humanitarian corridors for evacuating the wounded and sick, the entry of field hospitals and doctors to Gaza, the flow of fuel and humanitarian aid, and the provision of treatment, medications, and necessary medical equipment to restore the health sector’s capacity to deliver healthcare services. All measures must be taken to protect civilians and guarantee the rights of the injured and sick to receive appropriate healthcare. Furthermore, a serious investigation into the occupation’s crimes against civilians, doctors, and health facilities must be initiated, and those responsible for international crimes against civilians and the health sector must be held accountable to ensure the perpetrators do not escape punishment.
End.
The International Commission to Support the Rights of the Palestinian People “Hashd”
