Palestinians say first field hospital enters Gaza since war began

Rafah, Palestinian Territories — AFP

Palestinian officials said a field hospital sent by Jordan has finally entered the Gaza Strip, the first since Israel’s war on Gaza erupted.

“The hospital will be established in Khan Yunis, to receive the wounded and the sick, under catastrophic conditions which southern hospitals are experiencing, with the influx of hundreds of wounded each day and continued aggressive aerial and artillery strikes,” said Mohammed Zaqout, director-general of Gaza hospitals.

There are around 30,000 wounded people across Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory.

The death toll in Gaza has hit 13,000, primarily women and children.

Weeks of intense bombardment and severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies have meant most Gaza hospitals have stopped functioning.

Aed Yaghi, head of medical aid in Gaza, said the field hospital will help ease the pressure on existing health services.

“The number of medical personnel is limited and there aren’t (enough) ambulances,” Yaghi said.

The Jordanian field hospital reached Gaza accompanied by 17 personnel and 40 trucks of medical aid.

All goods and individuals entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt are subject to Israeli approval.

The head of Gaza’s crossings authority, Hisham Adwan, said six ambulances from Kuwait also managed to enter the territory on Monday.