Gaza hospital prioritizes women, children amid medical supply shortage

The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip said Thursday that a severe shortage of medical supplies due to the ongoing Israeli war and blockade has forced it to prioritize the treatment of women and children in an effort to preserve the "Palestinian lineage" in the enclave.

"As medical teams, with the scarcity of medical supplies in emergency departments, we are now focusing on saving children and women to preserve the Palestinian lineage in Gaza," Muhammad Saqr, the spokesperson for the facility, told a press conference.

"We appeal to the free world to pressure the (Israeli) occupation to allow the entry of the medical supplies we need," he added.

In previous statements, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that essential medicines and medical supplies had run out due to the ongoing closure of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings by Israel.

Currently, only limited international medical supplies and humanitarian aid are entering Gaza through Israel, which is insufficient to meet the needs of a population facing catastrophic humanitarian and health conditions.

This has led to a severe shortage of medical equipment and essential supplies, exacerbating an already dire situation.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.