Gaza, Dec 8 (FN Bureau) Only 14 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip keep operating, but even they are providing only limited services, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a fresh report released on Thursday. On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the number of functioning hospitals in the Gaza Strip had dropped from 36 to 18 in less than 60 days. On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the enclave’s health system was “on its knees and near total collapse.” “Currently, only 14 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are functional, and even they only provide limited services. Among them, two small hospitals in the north and 12 in the south are reported to be able to admit new patients,” the OCHA said in the report.
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The truce was extended several times and expired last Friday.