Palestine’s health system in Gaza and the West Bank is facing a severe crisis, with thousands of surgeries reportedly postponed and shortages of essential medicines…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The health system in Gaza and the West Bank is on the brink of collapse amid severe shortages of medicines and the postponement of thousands of surgeries, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah Abu Shawesh said on Thursday.
Speaking to IANS, Shawesh described the health situation in the Palestinian territories as “miserable”, saying medical facilities were struggling to cope with shortages of medicines and other essential supplies.
“The health situation is in a miserable situation. The whole entire health system in Palestine is on the brink of collapse. Thousands of surgeries have been postponed and we are short of hundreds of different types of tablets and medicine. I already mentioned less than two months ago that approximately 11,000 surgeries have already been postponed. The health situation in Gaza and the West Bank is unfortunately on the brink of collapse,” he said.
Shawesh also highlighted the continuing violence in the West Bank and the lack of a ceasefire in Gaza, saying the situation was placing further pressure on an already strained healthcare system.
He said children continued to be killed in the Gaza Strip amid the absence of a ceasefire and referred to recent discussions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in the Palestinian territories.
“Just two days ago in the United Nations Security Council, two very important briefings highlighted the miserable situation that the Palestinians are enduring, whether it is in Gaza or in the West Bank, and stressed that there was no ceasefire,” he said.
Shawesh also linked the ongoing conflict to Israel’s upcoming political calendar and warned of further suffering for Palestinians.
“We are less than three months away of the Israeli election and it’s known to everyone who’s monitoring the situation there in Gaza, in Palestine, in West Bank,” he said.
“Everyone know that the fuel for the Israeli election is the Palestinian blood. We are staring at another round of devastating situation that we will go to endure, whether it is in Gaza or in the West Bank… They will continue to make sure that the Palestinians suffer and this is the only way for Netanyahu, the fugitive from justice, and other in the current government to maintain their position in the upcoming government,” he stated.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict began after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel subsequently launched military operations in Gaza, saying its objective was to eliminate Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will not withdraw from its current positions in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed. In a video message shared on Facebook on August 4, Netanyahu said Israel would not withdraw “from our current lines” until Hamas was fully disarmed, The Times of Israel reported.
Against the backdrop of the continuing conflict, Shawesh also spoke about India’s Independence Day and its significance for Palestinians.
“When it came to the Independence Day, this is a great day not only for the Indian people, but for us Palestinian people too who are motivated by India’s independence struggle.. One day, we will gain our freedom like how you gained decades ago,” he said.
His remarks came as international attention remained focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the West Bank, with healthcare facilities facing mounting challenges amid continued conflict and shortages of essential supplies.
