In recent weeks, Gaza’s hospitals have come under attack from the Israeli military. Reports have stated that tanks have surrounded one of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip while other healthcare facilities have said they have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital, in the northern Gaza Strip, has been surrounded by tanks according to Palestinian officials. Healthcare workers said they were being prevented from accessing the hospital and that soldiers were turning away ambulances seeking to reach the facility.
The Israeli military has denied involvement in surrounding the hospital, saying that the tanks are stationed “in the area of the hospital” but are “not at the hospital.” However, Palestinian officials have stated that the soldiers are preventing entry into the hospital grounds and are also preventing medical staff from leaving.
The Israeli Defense Force also denied any involvement in the bombing of other healthcare facilities in the Palestinian Territories, with Israeli officials citing insufficient evidence to support the claims.
The situation has been described as a humanitarian crisis by the World Health Organization, with the lack of access to healthcare in the Gaza Strip causing a further deterioration in health among the population.
The UN agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, has said it is working to repair infrastructure that has been damaged as a result of the Israeli air strikes. One UN official has accused the Israeli government of “illegal destruction” of civilian infrastructure.
The violence between the two sides has been escalating in recent weeks, with more than 200 Palestinians reported to have been killed and thousands of Palestinian homes destroyed by Israeli air strikes, while rockets fired by Hamas have caused several Israeli deaths.
The continued attacks on Gaza and its healthcare facilities have been heavily condemned by the international community, with many calling for a resolution to the conflict. Calls have also been made for a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure that those injured are able to receive medical assistance.
With no end in sight to the violence and both parties unwilling to compromise, the ongoing crisis looks likely to continue. It is more important than ever that the international community takes action and does all it can to ensure that the basic human right to access healthcare is protected.