The health ministry in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, has issued a dire warning that all hospitals in the region could cease operations or drastically cut services “within 48 hours” due to a lack of fuel, attributing the situation to Israel’s blockade.
“We issue an urgent alert as all hospitals in the Gaza Strip will either halt operations or diminish their services within 48 hours owing to the occupation’s (Israel’s) prevention of fuel supplies,” stated Marwan al-Hams, director of Gaza’s field hospitals, during a press briefing.
“We urge international bodies to leverage the International Criminal Court’s decision to halt the genocidal aggression in the Gaza Strip,” he further remarked.
At the end of October, the health ministry indicated that all but one hospital in northern Gaza was non-operational.
Men inspect the damage following an Israeli strike on a residence in Nuseirat.
This latest warning from the ministry follows three days after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised serious concerns regarding the hospitals that are still partially functional in northern Gaza.
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris expressed that the organization is “especially worried about Kamal Adwan Hospital” in Beit Lahia, where Israeli forces initiated an offensive against Hamas and other Palestinian militant factions last month.
ICC arrest warrants
The information was released after the ICC announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes” allegedly carried out from October 8, 2023, to May 20 this year.
The court also issued a warrant for the capture of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, whom Israel claims to have killed in a July airstrike, though Hamas has not verified his death.
Residents of Gaza expressed little optimism that the ICC’s arrest warrants would halt the military actions against the Palestinian territory, where medics reported at least 24 fatalities from recent Israeli airstrikes.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
In northern Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike on a residence in Shejaiya resulted in eight fatalities, according to medical sources.
Three others lost their lives in a strike near a bakery, and a fisherman was killed while heading out to sea. Additionally, 12 people were reported dead in three different Israeli airstrikes targeting central and southern areas.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces intensified their incursions and bombardments along the northern edge of Gaza, marking their primary offensive since early last month.
Residents from the besieged areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun reported that Israeli forces have demolished numerous houses.
Read more: Read the latest from the Middle East ICC arrest warrant for Israeli PM ‘outrageous’ – Biden What’s next after the ICC issues warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders?
Gazans perceived the ICC’s move to seek the arrest of Israeli officials for supposed war crimes as a form of international acknowledgment of their dire situation.
However, those waiting for bread at a bakery in the southern city of Khan Younis remained skeptical about any potential impact.
“The decision will not come to fruition because America shields Israel, and it can veto anything. Israel will not be held responsible,” remarked Saber Abu Ghali while in the queue.
Israel initiated its military campaign against Gaza after Hamas-led militants breached the border, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250 hostages on October 7, 2023.
Hundreds of Palestinians gather at the only bakery in the area in Deir al-Balah.
Since that time, nearly 44,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza, much of which has been decimated.
Israel holds Hamas accountable for all casualties among Gaza’s civilians, accusing them of operating within civilian areas, a claim that Hamas denies.
Israeli leaders, across the political spectrum, have condemned the ICC arrest warrants as biased and based on inaccurate information, asserting that the court lacks jurisdiction over the conflict.
Hamas welcomed the arrest warrants as a preliminary move toward justice.
Efforts by Arab mediators from Qatar and Egypt, supported by the United States, to reach a ceasefire agreement have hit a standstill. Hamas is advocating for a cessation of the conflict, whereas Prime Minister Netanyahu has insisted that hostilities will only cease when Hamas is completely defeated.
