Gaza City, Palestine – Amidst the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials revealed that women and children are bearing the brunt, constituting approximately 60% of the total injuries in the embattled region. The situation has placed immense strain on the already fragile healthcare system in Gaza.
Yusuf Abu al-Reesh, the deputy health minister in Gaza, made this concerning announcement. He stated, “60% of the injuries caused by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have impacted women and children.” This startling statistic highlights the disproportionate impact of the conflict on the most vulnerable members of the population.
In addition to the distressing number of casualties, al-Reesh expressed deep concern about the dire state of medical care in the blockaded strip. “All hospital beds have been exhausted, and both medications and medical supplies are on the verge of running out,” he warned, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian aid to support the overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
The current escalation of tension in the Middle East was triggered by a forceful and sustained Israeli military campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group, Hamas, in Israeli territories. This chain of events began with Hamas initiating Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, which included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israeli territories via land, sea, and air.
Hamas asserted that their actions were in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. In response, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron, specifically targeting Hamas within the Gaza Strip.
The ramifications of this conflict extend beyond the immediate hostilities. The Israeli response has included cutting off water and electricity supplies to Gaza, exacerbating the already dire living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007.
As international concern mounts over the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to the besieged population have become more urgent than ever. The toll on women and children, as highlighted by the Palestinian Health Ministry, underscores the human cost of this ongoing conflict.
