Israeli Campaign Against Gaza Forcing Collapse of Hospitals and Water Consumption

The forced collapse of Gaza’s hospital system as a result of the Israeli siege and bombing campaign has likely already led to the deaths of many medical vulnerable people in Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reported in an update on Oct. 19 that about 1 million people have been displaced and are living in increasingly dire conditions. “Hospitals are on the brink of collapse,” it said. “They are operating at a bare minimum capacity and are struggling to keep emergency rooms operational, and are suspending some surgeries, working in darkness and limiting elevator usage.” It added that the WHO has reported 59 attacks on health care facilities and that 16 workers have been killed. OCHA’s Reliefweb news site also ran the statement by Guillemette Thomas of Médecins Sans Frontières, on the status of Gaza medical care.