At the same time that Israel’s ground offensive is imminent, it may be a matter of hours before the hospitals in Gaza are completely without power. Médecins Sans Frontières warns that they have lost contact with several employees in the area.
– We don’t know if they have been killed, injured, tried to escape or if it is just the electricity, says Frida Lagerholm, communicator at Doctors Without Borders.
Around a million people have been urged to leave Gaza ahead of Israel’s imminent ground offensive. Israel’s military states that over 600,000 people are fleeing to the south.
At the same time, the UN warns that there is a shortage of beds as well as food, water and fuel in southern Gaza as well.
Frida Lagerholm, communicator at Doctors Without Borders, describes the situation as catastrophic. They have completely lost communication with several of the 300 employees who are on site.
– We don’t know if they have been killed, injured, tried to escape or if it’s just the electricity that means they haven’t been able to charge their mobile phones, she says.
Difficult to evacuate
According to several media, a border crossing to Egypt would open on Monday morning to enable humanitarian aid to reach the many Gazans who are in need.
– No necessities come in at all and we are already seeing extreme shortages of water, food, fuel, medicines and electricity, says Frida Lagerholm.
From within the hospitals, it is reported that operations are performed without anesthesia. At the same time, according to Frida Lagerholm, it could be a matter of hours before the fuel for the generators that keep the Gaza hospitals running runs out.
– This means that people are already dying – but even more people will die.
Increasing pressure on Israel
The fact that it is still unclear whether aid is about to be delivered to the Gazans means that the pressure on Israel and the other parties will increase further. That’s what TV4’s foreign commentator Rolf Porseryd says.
– Help must come in. We have two million people who are desperate. Then the outside world can’t just watch and let it happen.