BEIRUT, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued a warning on Friday about the “imminent collapse” of the health system in the southern Gaza Strip.
In a statement sent to Xinhua, the IFRC Middle East and North Africa Office said most hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip had ceased operations due to lack of fuel, medicine and medical equipment, and Al-Amal Hospital, one of the few still in operation, although properly marked with the crescent emblem, it has ceased operations in the south for the same reason due to ongoing Israeli bombing. Red.
The IFRC said it was shocked by Israel's ongoing shelling of the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the PRCS-affiliated Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis.
“We commend the courage of PRCS volunteers and paramedics, many of whom have lost family members or suffered arrests and yet continue to selflessly offer their services,” he said.
The global humanitarian organization also called for protection for medical facilities and staff in Gaza in accordance with international humanitarian law, calling for “the rapid and unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance and safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers.”
“It is a humanitarian and moral imperative to ensure that the people of Gaza have access to medical care during this time of intense conflict,” he added.