A GAZAN doctor told the Morning Star today that if Israeli attacks continue at current levels the entire strip will soon run out of hospital beds for the wounded. 

On Saturday night, Israeli strikes hit the main road leading to Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa, delaying ambulances transporting patients wounded in the bombing. 

Dr Medhat Abbas, general director of primary care in Gaza and Ministry of Health spokesperson, told the Morning Star that the roads were left “totally destroyed.”

“Last night Israelis have been intending to target the main roads leading to Shifa hospital. 

“That was not accidental, they intended to destroy the roads,” he said.

Retired psychiatrist Dr Mohammed Ya Aloul, 66, was also killed in the bombing on Saturday as was Dr Ayman Abu Alouf, 50, a chief consultant of internal medicine at Shifa hospital, responsible for training specialist medical students.

The consultant was one of 33 people killed in early morning raids on Sunday, bringing the death toll to more than 170, including 41 children, since the Israeli aggression began last week.

“The hospital capacity in Gaza is 2,200 beds. If the number of cases is mounting at the same rate — more than 1,000 in a week — and with the same level of Israeli aggression, there will be no room in our hospitals to treat patients within a few days.

“Gaza is a tiny strip of land. The borders are shut most of the time, what the hell can we do? We have been living under siege for 15 years,” he said.

Dr Abbas said the situation was becoming more desperate in Gaza, which has been held under a blockade since 2007.

“The siege means no electricity, no portable water, no freedom to travel, not enough medical supplies, and staff working for 50 per cent of their salaries.

“So now we have this aggression, we have coronavirus and we have the siege. Three at once, this is inhumane — it cannot be. 

“We did not sleep for the last six days. If you try to sleep a few minutes, you wake up to massive explosions. Your heart is beating fast, you are shivering, your children are crying and it’s a very miserable situation.”

Dr Abbas added that they are facing new types of attacks “never seen before in Gaza.” He said they used to be able to hear warplanes before the bombs hit, but recently the Israeli military have fired bombs from a distance. 

“But now you don’t hear anything, you just hear the explosion, this is a new thing. The F35 [fighter jet] is designed for a battle between two armies, not between the biggest army in the Middle East and some civilians living in refugee camps.”