Hamas health ministry in Gaza claims fuel runs out in north, leaving hospitals unable to function

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza warns that the situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic, as months of war between the Hamas terror group and Israel have all but cut off access to humanitarian aid for those still there, Arabic-language media outlets report.

According to the reports, the hospitals in northern Gaza are running out of fuel, leaving medical refrigerators used to store crucial medicine without electricity. At the same time, generators and ambulances are running out of fuel, leaving the health services in tatters and intensive care patients at risk of dying.

While the situation is less dire in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, where aid deliveries are still able to be distributed, the healthcare system is still facing immense struggles.

In the Emirates Hospital in Rafah, medical staff say three to four newborns are placed in each of its 20 incubators, which are designed for just one.

Dr. Amal Ismail says two to three newborns die in a single shift, in part because many families live in tents in rainy, cold weather. Before the war, one or two newborns in incubators there died per month.

“No matter how much we work with them, it is all wasted,” she says. “Health conditions in tents are very bad.”