- Tomasso Della Longo says medical facilities 'overwhelmed' by number of patients, pressure on dwindling supplies
GENEVA
Severe shortages of medical supplies and medicines in the Gaza Strip are making life-saving treatment increasingly difficult, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Tuesday.
Spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa told a UN briefing in Geneva that Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) teams have been responding to 150 fatalities, including children, and 179 others who were injured in overnight Israeli attacks.
He said medical facilities are "overwhelmed" by the number of patients and the pressure on dwindling supplies.
No humanitarian aid or fuel has entered Gaza since the beginning of March, further crippling health care services. Ambulances are running low on fuel, limiting their ability to respond to emergencies. PRCS teams are working to assess the effect of fuel shortages on ambulance services and the ability of first responders to reach those in need, he said.
"There are shortages of medical supplies and medicines in hospitals and clinics -- this is making the provision of life-saving treatment increasingly difficult," he said.
He urged the continuation of the ceasefire, as well as a safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food and fuel. He also called for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, and the unconditional release of all hostages.
The Israeli army pounded Gaza early Tuesday, killing more than 400 Palestinians and injuring hundreds, breaking a ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, that took effect Jan. 19.
Images from Gaza showed the majority of victims were civilians, including women and children, whose homes were bombed during the night.
More than 48,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 112,000 injured in a brutal Israeli onslaught in Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.