The Director-General of Hospitals in the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Mohammed Zaqout, confirmed that Israel has not allowed the entry of any medical equipment, including X-ray machines, into the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war from October 7, 2023.
Zaqout stressed in press statements that Israel has not adhered to the humanitarian protocol despite the ceasefire last January.
“No important medical equipment has been allowed into the Strip, except for some medical supplies and missions whose benefit does not exceed 60 percent,” he explained.
During their storming of the Strip’s hospitals, Israel’s forces have also destroyed all MRI machines and medical tomography devices, Zagout said, which are essential for diagnosis and medical follow-up of patients.
Israel’s occupying forces have destroyed 34 hospitals out of 38 in Gaza during the war on Gaza and put them out of service through 520 raids targeting the hospitals, according to the Ministry of Health.
The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Palestinian territories, Rick Peeperkorn, said in a previous statement that the health sector in Gaza suffered losses of about 6.3 billion dollars, with its total needs to reach over seven billion dollars divided between reconstruction costs and service delivery needs.
For the 11th day in a row, Israel continues to close crossings, prevent the entry of humanitarian and relief aid into the Strip, and tighten the siege on all supplies, including food and fuel, after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
This closure comes at a time when the residents of the Gaza Strip are suffering from catastrophic humanitarian conditions due to the shortage of food, medicine, and basic needs during the month of Ramadan.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
