Hamas Accuses Israel Of Blocking Patients' Evacuation, Worsening Oxygen Shortage

(MENAFN- Nam News Network) GAZA, Feb 17 (NNN-WAFA) – The Hamas-run media office in Gaza, yesterday, accused Israeli authorities of violating the ceasefire agreement, by blocking the departure of the 15th group of patients and wounded individuals through the Rafah border crossing.

“The Occupation continues to breach the ceasefire agreement, as it blocked the departure of the 15th group of patients and wounded, by delaying the release of their travel lists, preventing them from completing exit procedures,” said the media office head, Salama Marouf, in a statement.

On Thursday, the media office reported that only 452 wounded and ill individuals, along with 620 companions, had left Gaza in 12 days of operation at the Rafah crossing, which was reopened under the ceasefire agreement.

According to the statement, the daily average of travellers was 90, falling short of the agreement's requirement of at least 450 travellers per day, including 150 patients and wounded individuals along with their companions.

“There are still 15,000 injured and ill people in Gaza, who urgently need to travel for treatment outside the Strip, amid a severe shortage of medicine and medical supplies, due to the ongoing blockade and Israeli aggression since Oct 7, 2023,” the statement added.

Also yesterday, the Gaza-based health authorities warned in a statement, of a severe oxygen shortage in the enclave, after Zionist Israel destroyed 10 oxygen stations during the conflict.

Hospitals in Gaza are facing an extremely critical oxygen shortage, after central stations were burned and destroyed, particularly at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, Al-Rantisi and Al-Durra hospitals, Al-Nasr and Indonesian medical complexes, and the Sheikh Radwan clinic station, the authorities said.

“The 10 destroyed stations had been meeting the oxygen needs of vital departments, including operating rooms, intensive care units, emergency departments, and neonatal incubators, in addition to the needs of patients at home,” they said.

The regime's authorities prevented oxygen stations from entering Gaza's hospitals, which“will exacerbate the crisis to levels that threaten patients' lives,” they said, urging international organisations and relevant entities to secure and facilitate the entry of the needed oxygen stations.

In a separate statement, the health authorities said, Gaza hospitals have received seven dead bodies – six retrieved from under the rubble, and one newly murdered – along with five injuries in the past 24 hours.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza since the onset of the conflict has risen to 48,219, with 111,665 others injured, they said.– NNN-WAFA

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