Gaza shelling: Haniyeh, Abbas donate blood
PA president, PM arrive at Shifa hospital, which struggles to treat dozens of patients injured in attack. Deputy Director: There were people we could barely help. Physicians for Human Rights report says a third of fatalities in Gaza are children
Just a few hours after the IDF attack in Gaza Wednesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh arrived at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital and, in an act of national unity, donated blood for those injured in the shelling.
The events in Beit Hanoun and numerous Palestinian casualties this past month have only highlighted the unbearable situation of the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.
Abbas (L) and Haniyeh at hospital (Photo: AP)
Scores of wounded people arrived at the hospital this morning, including the 18 who were killed, after an errant IDF shell apparently stuck a residential building. Medical personnel struggled to provide treatment with the meager resources at hand.
Hospital Deputy Director Dr. Juma'a Squ'a, spoke with Ynet Wednesday afternoon: "The hospital is at its maximum capacity, we have several wounded patients whose situation is critical and the hospital is on the verge of collapsing because of a serious shortage of medical supplies, medicines and irregular electricity. We have the personnel but not the means."
"We saw some very difficult cases this morning," he says, "we saw very difficult images of children, there were people we could barely help. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is very bad both economically and security-wise. People are very angry and agitated. People connect this difficult situation to Israel's violence even after leaving Beit Hanoun.
Treating patients in Beit Hanoun (Photo: AFP)
Shortages have been noticeable in the hospital since the beginning of operation 'Autumn Clouds', during which over 60 Palestinians were killed.
"Everyone is angry because of what the Israelis have done," says Dr. Squ'a. "As the equipment runs out, I doubt if we can continue admitting patients, how can we treat them when we don't have enough sterile equipment for surgeries or oxygen for patients? Our capacity is very limited now and we've asked international organizations for help."
A third of Gaza fatalities – children
Seven children were killed in Beit Hanoun on Wednesday morning. A report issued by Physicians for Human Rights says that a third of civilians killed in Gaza over the past four months as a result of military activity are children.
Since the beginning of 2006 96 children have been killed in the territories (mostly Gaza), double the number of the same period in 2005 (45).
Children are also a third of those injured in Gaza. 337 children were injured over the past four months out of 996 people injured total.
Doctors for Human Rights demand of Israel to "immediately and unconditionally stop any military activity which harms innocents. The number of casualties shows that forces do not differentiate between fighters and civilians. Israel should take full responsibility for the treatment and compensation of civilian casualties."
Ibrahim Habib, a member of 'Doctors for Human Rights' told Ynet: "The high number of casualties in Gaza compared to the ability of hospitals creates tremendous pressure on the system. An atomic pressure, on the verge of collapsing. I'm sure that there are no available beds in Shifa."
Meital Yasur-Beit Or contributed to this report
