Humanitarian Crisis Looms in Gaza as Israeli Offensive Threatens Mass Catastrophe
The head of Gaza's government media office issues a dire warning of a potential "mass grave" scenario, as Israel's military campaign exacerbates living conditions, disrupts essential services, and prompts urgent pleas for international assistance in the Palestinian enclave.
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The chief of the government media office in Gaza sounded a grave alarm on Thursday, cautioning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. He asserted that delayed responses to distress calls could result in the region transforming into a "mass grave."
Israeli forces initiated a forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas within Israeli territories. Salama Ma’rouf, speaking to Anadolu, expressed concern over the deteriorating services and living conditions in Gaza, particularly after Israel cut off water and electricity supply.
Ma'rouf accused Israel of attempting to obliterate entire residential neighborhoods, forcibly displacing hundreds of thousands of citizens and causing mass casualties by bombing homes. The relentless bombing, he added, has overwhelmed morgues, rendering them unable to accommodate the increasing number of bodies.
Hospitals in Gaza are grappling with an overflow of injuries, with wounded individuals being treated in corridors due to the lack of available operation and care rooms. Ma'rouf characterized Gaza as a disaster zone, alleging genocide, collective punishment, and massacre, emphasizing that a delayed response could turn the enclave into a mass grave, with people succumbing to various factors such as bombing, hunger, lack of safe drinking water, and the spread of epidemics.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila urgently called for support for the health sector in Gaza, warning of its impending collapse. She highlighted the acute shortage of medical supplies, operating room equipment, medicines, and blood bags, revealing that the current number of wounded surpasses the hospitals' capacity.
The conflict ignited when Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and increasing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. In response, the Israeli military initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's actions extended to cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, exacerbating the living conditions in an area already under a crippling siege since 2007. Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz declared on Thursday that essential services would not be restored until all hostages were freed.
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