Humanitarian Crisis: Gaza's Hospitals Struggling Amidst Ongoing Conflict
Gaza's hospitals are overwhelmed by the weight of war Dr Mohammed Ghneim tirelessly battles to save lives, sacrificing sleep and meals His blood-stained scrubs bear witness to the heart-wrenching losses he endures
In Gaza City's hospital, Dr. Mohammed Ghneim remains confined for the past four weeks. The thought of sleep or a proper meal eludes him, and his blue scrubs bear the marks of the blood shed by patients he couldn't save.
His voice trembles as he recounts the unimaginable tragedies he has witnessed: babies forcibly separated from their dying mothers, young ones with crushed lungs fighting for every breath, and fellow healthcare professionals - doctors, nurses, and EMTs - tragically carried to the hospital morgue in body bags.
"We have been working tirelessly, refusing to leave for days, but the situation is extremely dire. Words cannot express the unspeakable horrors we are witnessing," Ghneim conveyed to CNN in a voice message on November 7, amidst the chaotic and panic-stricken atmosphere. "There are moments when I feel the urge to step aside and shed tears, but unfortunately, time does not permit it."
Ghneim is an emergency room physician at Dar Al-Shifa, also known as Al-Shifa Hospital or Shifa, which translates to "house of healing" in Arabic. However, within the confines of this hospital - the largest medical complex in Gaza - death has become an overwhelming presence.
A Palestinian child receives treatment at Nasser Medical Center after a strike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on November 7.
Shifa hospital in Gaza is facing a critical shortage of clean water, medicine, supplies, and fuel. At the same time, an overwhelming number of injured or displaced Palestinians, affected by Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas, are seeking refuge in the hospital's wards, desperately trying to escape the relentless airstrikes.
Israeli forces surrounded Shifa in all directions on Saturday, as reported by Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, the director-general of the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas. The hospital denies being under siege, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Additionally, Al-Bursh stated that the hospital's generator was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, resulting in a loss of electricity to the building. This outage affected crucial life-saving equipment used for 39 infants in neonatal care, leading to the unfortunate death of three infants already.
The Israeli military informed CNN that they are currently involved in intense fighting against Hamas near Shifa. However, due to ongoing military operations, they declined to provide further details about their proximity to the complex. Israel has made accusations that Hamas is utilizing hospitals as shields, while the doctors at the hospital and the militant group deny this charge.
Ghneim, a 28-year-old, expressed, "We are trained to handle large numbers of casualties, but the current situation is unlike anything we have experienced. We lack anesthesia to treat patients who are experiencing severe pain, individuals with shrapnel lodged in their head or abdomen, and those who have undergone amputations of their limbs."
Palestinians inspect the damage to an ambulance struck by the Israeli military at the entrance of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Alarming images from Shifa, as well as other hospitals in Gaza, have prompted global appeals for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian assistance to be permitted into the region. Currently, the territory, housing around 2 million Palestinians, remains cut off from the rest of the world by Israel and Egypt.
Nonprofit medical organizations throughout the United States are actively coming together to gather donations and transport essential medicines and supplies to hospitals on the verge of collapse. However, with the dire situation in Gaza rapidly deteriorating and a lack of diplomatic or humanitarian interventions in sight, there is growing concern that the delay in action will lead to a higher number of fatalities.
From his overcrowded emergency room, Ghneim passionately implored, "I appeal to the international community to acknowledge the severity of this humanitarian crisis. What is happening here can only be described as genocide. I plead for it to end."
Desperate to send help
In Houston, thousands of miles from Gaza, Mosab Nasser is organizing trips to various communities to raise awareness of the situation in Gaza and collect funds for hospitals in need.
The Texan, hailing from Gaza, proudly reveals that he has devoted himself to this endeavor since October 7th. This was in response to a bold assault by Hamas, which tragically resulted in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives and the subjugation of over 230 individuals, as acknowledged by Israeli authorities.
Palestinian paramedics weep outside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 16, 2023, as the ongoing bombardment by Israeli forces of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory has caused over one million people to flee their homes, resulting in scenes of chaos and despair. The conflict escalated after waves of Hamas fighters breached the heavily fortified border on October 7, resulting in a death toll of more than 1,400 people. (Image: Dawood Nemer/AFP/Getty Images)
Gaza's hospitals are being overwhelmed as surgeries are performed without drugs. Israel's response to the situation is to enforce a siege and carry out destructive airstrikes throughout Gaza, which is under the governance of Hamas. Israel claims their objective is to dismantle the militant organization and secure the release of hostages. However, it is the Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza who are suffering the most from these attacks.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the airstrikes in Gaza, run by Hamas, have resulted in the death of at least 11,025 Palestinians, including 4,506 children. Additionally, over 27,000 individuals have been wounded. Amidst this devastation, Nasser shares the heartbreaking loss of three young children, one of whom was just 8 months old, when their home collapsed due to Israeli airstrikes. Despite the profound grief, Nasser is unable to find the time to mourn.
Nasser, the CEO of nonprofit medical group FAJR Scientific, is committed to finding an effective means of providing aid and resources to hospitals in need.
The main objective of FAJR Scientific is to generate sufficient funds to fill five 40-foot containers with medical supplies, surgical tools, and sterile instruments, which will be shipped to Gaza, according to Nasser.
"Doctors in Gaza are deprived of the opportunity to return home, which proves to be highly traumatic for them," Nasser expressed. "They are perpetually exhausted, with their physical presence being confined to the hospital, while their thoughts revolve around their families, constantly seeking updates on their well-being."
A Palestinian nurse at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, mourns after receiving news that his brother was killed on November 9.
Abed Zagout/Anadolu/Getty Images
In certain instances, medical workers have found their own loved ones among the injured or deceased, exacerbating their existing fears and anxieties, according to Nasser.
This is not the initial occasion that FAJR Scientific has offered support to Gaza's medical community. The organization has led multiple surgical missions to Gaza and has provided training to almost 100 Palestinian medical workers on-site, Nasser states. In August, they also supplied hospitals throughout the region with medical supplies worth over $4 million.
The Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), a US-based nonprofit organization, is actively spearheading initiatives to support healthcare professionals in Gaza. With a substantial membership and support base of over 6,000 individuals, PAMA conducts medical missions to the region and has successfully garnered over $2 million in funds, according to Dr. Mustafa Musleh, the president of PAMA, as reported by CNN.
The funds will be utilized to procure essential medicine and supplies, such as anesthetics, antibiotics, and other medications, which will be packed into containers and dispatched to Gaza. Additionally, the group has a roster of over 1,000 healthcare professionals on standby, awaiting permission from Israel and Egypt to enter the enclave and provide humanitarian assistance, according to Musleh.
"We are deeply compelled to extend aid," affirmed the Palestinian American physician hailing from Dayton, Ohio. "The situation is truly catastrophic... The hospitals are overwhelmed, unable to accommodate the staggering number of patients. These individuals arrive with severe, life-threatening injuries that demand immediate attention, resulting in a significant loss of life."
Patients and internally displaced people are pictured at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on November 10.
Khader Al Zanoun/AFP/Getty Images
FAJR Scientific and PAMA are among several US medical groups coordinating efforts. But so far, few have been able to reach hospitals under siege.
Waiting for a miracle
Since the initiation of the war, a mere 900 trucks carrying international aid, excluding fuel, have been granted access into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. In stark contrast to the pre-war period, when approximately 500 trucks would enter Gaza daily, this represents a mere trickle of aid. Warning of the mounting humanitarian needs, the PRCS stresses that Gaza will require significantly more assistance.
Ahmad Muhanna, the director of Al Awda Hospital in Jabalya, expresses his profound distress in treating injured children, whose images haunt him even when he tries to find rest.
"It's a deeply painful experience to witness the loss of our innocent children and to witness the devastating effects of their injuries, knowing they bear no responsibility for the conflict," Muhanna shared with CNN on October 29, speaking from his hospital in northern Gaza.
Doctors are carrying out surgeries, including amputations, on children in the absence of clean water and lacking anesthesia or antibiotics. Moreover, due to the shortage of vacant hospital beds, many patients are forced to receive treatment directly on the floor. The situation is exacerbated by Israeli airstrikes that occur near medical facilities, putting medical personnel in constant peril.
As of November 10, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah has reported that 198 health care workers have lost their lives and 130 more have been injured in Gaza. Additionally, 21 hospitals and 51 primary health care centers are currently non-operational.
Al-Shifa Hospital is lit up in Gaza City amid fuel shortages on October 24.
Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Israel claims that it is only focusing on Hamas, whom it accuses of utilizing hospitals as cover to carry out attacks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health and Hamas reject these allegations.
Israel argues that the casualties among civilians and the destruction of crucial infrastructure, such as hospitals, are unintended consequences that it takes measures to minimize. They suggest that Palestinians should seek refuge in safer locations. However, healthcare professionals in Gaza assert that evacuating patients without incurring further casualties is unfeasible and that no area can truly be considered safe.
Muhanna expressed his distress over the constant and relentless airstrikes by the Israeli air force on their small region. According to him, the high number of casualties demonstrates Israel's lack of effort in minimizing civilian deaths. They seem to disregard any boundaries or limits, targeting women, elders, children, men, the disabled, and every living creature. The situation has caused immense frustration among doctors in hospitals like Shifa and Al Awda in Gaza. Unfortunately, with no signs of a ceasefire and limited access to essential supplies due to tight border controls, the death toll is likely to rise.
Ghneim, the emergency room doctor at Shifa, expressed their helplessness towards their patients. Despite their desire to offer them adequate healthcare, there are often instances where they are unable to do so.
At the same time, Nasser and Musleh are actively involved in raising funds, purchasing supplies, and organizing the shipment to the Rafah border crossing. There, truckers eagerly anticipate permission to enter Gaza and unload the vital cargo that can save lives.
"The whole world turned their back on the people of Gaza," Nasser said. "And right now were only waiting for a miracle."
