Gaza: The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Dr. Muneer Alboursh, has issued a stark warning regarding the imminent collapse of healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip. He highlighted that due to a severe fuel shortage, the few remaining operational hospitals are at risk of complete shutdown within two days unless urgent measures are taken to supply them with fuel and medical resources.
According to Qatar News Agency, Dr. Alboursh emphasized that the dire situation is exacerbated by ongoing Israeli military actions, which have directly targeted hospitals and enforced evacuations in both northern and southern regions of Gaza. This has led to a declared state of emergency within these medical facilities. The Ministry of Health in Gaza is urging international pressure on Israel to allow the passage of essential supplies through border crossings to prevent what Dr. Alboursh described as a potential transformation of hospitals into “mass graves” if fuel is not received within 48 hours.
Dr. Alboursh further elaborated that the blockade on fuel delivery is effectively severing the hospitals’ lifeline, following the destruction of critical infrastructure such as generators and oxygen stations by Israeli forces. He revealed that international organizations and UN bodies have been blocked from accessing fuel storage areas, which Israel has designated as red zones, thereby threatening the continued operation of hospitals that are dependent on generators for critical functions.
The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is currently the only hospital still operating in the city after others have ceased functioning or become inaccessible due to their location in evacuation zones. Dr. Alboursh warned that if the Nasser Medical Complex, serving approximately 650,000 people, shuts down, it would precipitate a major humanitarian crisis and total collapse of medical care in the region.
The healthcare workers at Nasser are persevering under desperate conditions, performing surgeries without electricity or basic supplies, and even facing food shortages similar to the rest of the population. Al Amal Hospital in Khan Younis has become unreachable, with patients and staff trapped in an area now declared a dangerous combat zone by Israeli forces.
Dr. Alboursh also reported a critical shortage of medicines and essential supplies across Gaza’s hospitals, with even basic procedures being hindered by a lack of necessary tools. The dialysis unit at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital has ceased operations following direct Israeli shelling that damaged crucial equipment and facilities.
The situation is dire for hundreds of kidney failure patients who require regular dialysis. Damage to filtration machines and the destruction of sterile water tanks have severely compromised their treatment, posing further risk to their lives. Emergency repairs are underway to restore services, but the need for immediate intervention remains acute.
Dr. Alboursh has appealed to international and humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene to protect healthcare facilities and ensure the delivery of medical supplies. He stressed the necessity of opening safe corridors for patients and securing essential medical resources to sustain emergency care.
The healthcare crisis in Gaza continues to escalate amid ongoing Israeli aggression, with bans on medical supplies, targeted attacks on medical personnel, and systematic destruction of hospital infrastructure. Since May 13, the Israeli occupation has been responsible for at least 36 attacks on Gaza hospitals, leading to the closure of many, including four major facilities.