Gaza, hell on earth; alarm over running out of medical supplies.
Following international warnings about the collapse of Gaza’s health system and the worst humanitarian disaster in the history of the strip, Adrian Zimmerman, head of the ICRC’s sub-delegation in the Gaza Strip, declared that Gaza is a hell on earth; where daily life has become a never-ending mission for survival, families have been torn apart, loved ones have disappeared, people live in permanent displacement and are deprived of access to the most basic needs, including food, water, healthcare and shelter. The people of Gaza have no sense of security or hope and experience the worst human humiliations on a daily basis.
The people of Gaza are deprived of even the most basic human rights
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Adrian Zimmerman stated that: “Red Cross teams and other aid agencies have also witnessed numerous mass casualties during this conflict, which is evidence of the heavy cost that civilians in Gaza are paying.” The Israeli military’s evacuation orders in various areas of the Gaza Strip mean that many are forced to pack up and move again and again in the dark, in fear and terror, without knowing where they are going.
He added: “The severe reduction in access to essential goods, combined with the severe psychological impact of the ongoing attacks, has dealt a devastating blow to Gaza’s civilians, leaving them at a stage where they are deprived of a normal life with minimal human rights. Since early March this year, the arrival of humanitarian aid, the main lifeline for Gaza’s civilians, has been suspended, which has had a devastating impact on residents here and has increasingly weakened the ability of humanitarian organizations to carry out their missions.”
The Red Cross official stressed: “Without the reopening of the crossings, programs such as the ICRC’s community kitchens can only continue for a few more weeks.” Currently, the Red Cross field hospital is trying to continue its work, but medical equipment will be completely exhausted in a few weeks, and we have always emphasized that rapid and unhindered access to humanitarian aid is essential.
Palestinian prisoners have a dangerous and uncertain fate
He continued to address the conditions of Palestinian prisoners who were abducted from the Gaza Strip by Zionist forces during the war, and said that as of October 7, 2023, the Israeli authorities decided to suspend visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to the regime’s detention centers until further notice, and since then we have not met with any Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention centers.
The international official noted: Many videos of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons have been published, and we emphasize that regular visits to the situation of Palestinian prisoners should be carried out by the International Committee of the Red Cross. We have learned that 14,400 Palestinians have disappeared from Gaza and the West Bank, and there is no information about them.
He also announced the conditions of the refugees in the Gaza Strip, that we are trying hard to safely evacuate these refugees from various places, but the conditions are very dangerous. In addition, many Gazans are currently injured, sick, or disabled and cannot comply with evacuation orders, especially in a short period. Also, since the beginning of the war, a large number of aid workers and personnel of humanitarian and health institutions have lost their lives.
The Red Cross official referred to the recent Zionist crime of killing 15 aid workers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and stated: “We are very angry about this incident and their deaths are a reminder of the bitter reality that Gaza is experiencing; a place where no one is safe.”