Israel says Red Cross field hospital in Gaza to undergo major expansion next week

Israel’s COGAT liaison to the Palestinians says it has approved a project to vastly expand a Red Cross field hospital in the Gaza Strip, promising that “extensive medical equipment and new capabilities will enter the Strip next week.”

“This will both replace systems and equipment that have been in use since the beginning of the war, and significantly expand the hospital’s capabilities,” the statement says. “The scope of the equipment and resources is expected to substantially upgrade and expand the hospital operated by the Red Cross.”

The equipment “will enter the Gaza Strip via dozens of trucks and will include advanced medical systems, medicines, generators and additional hospitalization infrastructure. These additions will enable the expansion of medical services, including in the fields of women’s health and maternity care,” it says.

“The advancement of this project demonstrates that even complex and sensitive equipment can enter the Gaza Strip through close and responsible coordination,” COGAT says, vowing to “continue to work together with the [US-led] CMCC and lead humanitarian efforts, in accordance with international law, to allow and facilitate the medical response in the Gaza Strip.”