Rights Groups Warn As Gaza Hospitals 'Risk Turning Into Morgues’
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A power blackout in the Gaza Strip, attributed to Israel's "total blockade" of the besieged region, has triggered strong condemnation from international rights groups.
These organizations are calling for urgent action as they express concerns that "hospitals risk turning into morgues" due to heavy Israeli bombardment.
On Wednesday, Gaza's sole power plant ran out of fuel and came to a halt after Israel's decision to cut off supplies following an attack by Hamas inside occupied territories.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a medical charity, has decried the escalation, calling for "reducing the suffering of civilians."
"As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, putting newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can't be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues," Fabrizio Carboni, the ICRC's regional director for the Near and Middle East, stated.
"Families in Gaza are already having trouble accessing clean water. No parent wants to be forced to give a thirsty child dirty water," he added.
The Israeli bombardment of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of four ICRC staff in the enclave, according to the charity's spokesman.
A representative from al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City stated that Israeli authorities have targeted first responders aiding civilians and appealed to the global community for assistance.
"We are suffering... and the world is not moving a finger. This is an SOS to the whole world... you must help us," he told reporters after it was announced that Gaza's sole power plant has run out of fuel.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch, a global rights organization, emphasized that Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, must, under international law, ensure that the basic needs of the population are met.
"Instead, they have since 2007 run Gaza as an 'open-air prison,' imposing sweeping restrictions on the movement of people and goods. In the wake of the weekend attacks, authorities are now closing those prison walls in further," it said.
Human Rights Watch also criticized the deprivation of electricity and fuel for the entire Gaza population as a form of collective punishment.
According to Israeli officials, some 150 Israelis, foreigners, and dual nationals were taken to the Gaza Strip by Hamas fighters as part of the attack that killed more than 1,200 people in occupied territories.
Israel has launched a relentless air campaign on Gaza, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, according to Palestinian health officials.