Beit-Sahour Blog

Dr. Jom'a Al Saka, the spokesperson of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza, said in an interview with the IMEMC that if the Israeli "Summer Rain" military operation continues, Gaza will run out of medical supplies soon.

He said, "We depend on medical supplies coming from outside, through the terminals surrounding Gaza.  Since the military offensive started, those crossings are closed, so the stock of medical supplies we had will run out soon."

The Israeli army have closed all border crossings, both foot-passenger and commercial, and stopped food, fuel and medical supplies from coming into Gaza since the start of the army offensive over three weeks ago.

A human rights centre in Gaza said that 26 people had been killed, and more than 200 injured during this week alone.  Among the casualties, women and children.   The continued army attacks on the towns and cities of the Gaza Strip have raised fears among doctors that there will soon be no medical supplies left in the Gaza hospitals.

"Soon we will be unable to send ambulances to get patients" Dr Jom'a Al Saka added.

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Ambulances and Emergencies for the Ministry of Health, Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, said in a report published by Ma'an news agency on Thursday,  "Ten Palestinians were killed and more than 108 injured, 14 of them seriously, during the last two days in which the Israeli forces penetrated Al Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip,

Hassanain added, "The Israeli forces are using internationally prohibited missiles that contain chemical materials and burning metals and in addition, have shrapnel in the shape of nails". He pointed out that the injuries received in the hospitals as a result of these missiles are very dangerous because the human tissues and muscles are torn and in addition, the injured suffer from severe bleeding, loss of limbs and broken bones.

IMEMC gained interviews with several doctors working in different hospitals in the Gaza strip, and all confirmed the use of non-conventional weapons.  One of the doctors we spoke to, Dr. Saeed Jodah, told us,  "When the Shrapnel hits the body; it causes very strong burns that destroy the tissues around the bones.  When this shrapnel enters the body, it burns and destroys internal organs, like the liver, kidneys, the spleen and other organs, and makes saving the wounded almost impossible.  As a surgeon, I have seen thousands of wounds during the Intifada, but nothing was like this weapon."

The latest case that matched these symptoms was Muhammad Muhra, 17, from Al Bureij refugee camp.  He was killed on Thursday.  His body arrived at the hospital in an almost unrecognizable condition.