A HOSPITAL IN northern Gaza is currently trying to cope with an influx of patients in what has become one of the bloodiest weeks since the beginning of the war.

A partner hospital of ActionAid Ireland, Al-Awda – one of just 13 hospitals currently operating in the besieged enclave – has seen an increase in casualties since the Israeli military launched a fresh attack on Gaza city on 8 July.

Dr Mohammed Salha, the hospital’s acting director, said that they had received 12 injured people since this morning. One other patient was pronounced dead on arrival. 

“We do not know how long the Israeli forces will remain in Gaza City and the number of casualties we will receive,” he said.

“There are not sufficient quantities of fuel to operate the generators. We need medicines and medical supplies to perform surgeries. Many surgical operations have been postponed. Scheduled operations have been postponed because we are unable to operate the large generator.

“We hope that our partners from the World Health Organization and the United Nations organisations will be able to quickly supply the hospital with the fuel necessary for operation and provide the hospital with medical supplies and medicines so that we can keep providing our services to injured people,” he said.

As the attacks in Gaza continue into their 10th month, the territory has also been hit by serious food shortages.

Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland, said that the amount of food aid entering Gaza is wholly inadequate, and that famine is spreading across the region.

“Our partners in Gaza paint a harrowing picture of the current situation, with pregnant women losing their babies because they are so malnourished and desperate mothers struggling to find anything to feed their starving children,” she said.

“This is a stain on humanity’s conscience and an entirely preventable, human-made crisis. The world cannot sit back and watch any more children die from lack of food: more life-saving aid must be allowed into Gaza immediately.”

Efforts to get food into the area have been hamstrung by an Israeli blockade of all land crossings. A problematic US effort to supply aid via sea from Cyprus was ended this week.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) issued fresh evacuation orders for Gaza City on Wednesday. Approximately 60 bodies were recovered from one of the city’s suburbs yesterday, after the IDF withdrew from the area saying they had “completed an operation”.

An Israeli negotiating team returned from Qatar after meeting with mediators in a latest attempt to negotiate a ceasefire. US negotiators said talks were progressing, but that “difficult, complex issues” remain.