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Rafah field hospital resumes nearly full capacity despite mass casualty events: ICRC
By Xinhua Published: Jul 19, 2024 10:46 AM
People collect items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)

People collect items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)


 
People collect items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)

People collect items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)


 
A man collects items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)

A man collects items from the rubble at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)


 
People inspect a destroyed building at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday (Photo: Xinhua)

People inspect a destroyed building at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, on July 18, 2024. During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday (Photo: Xinhua)


 
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Thursday that its 60-bed field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, is nearly at full capacity following repeated mass casualty events.

"The repeated mass casualty events resulting from the unrelenting hostilities have stretched to breaking point the response capacity of our hospital -- and all health facilities in southern Gaza -- to care for those with life-threatening injuries," said William Schomburg, the head of sub-delegation for the ICRC in Gaza, said in a press release.

"Another mass casualty event would force our doctors and nurses to make extremely difficult choices," Schomburg warned.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a press briefing that the availability of hospital beds has drastically declined in Gaza, dropping from 3,500 before the conflict erupted to just 1,400 today.

Currently, there are only 800 hospital beds in service, plus 600 field hospital beds, for a population of 2.2 million people in the war-torn Palestinian enclave, the UN body said.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.

During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 54 people and wounded 95 others, bringing the total Palestinian death toll to 38,848 and injuries to 89,459 since the conflict broke out in early October 2023, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.