Doctors in the Gaza Strip say dwindling fuel supplies are putting dozens of premature babies hooked up to incubators at risk of imminent death.

His life hinges on the constant flow of electricity, which is in danger of running out imminently unless the hospital can get more fuel for its generators. Once the generators stop, hospital director Iyad Abu Zahar fears that the babies in the ward, unable to breathe on their own, will perish.

“The responsibility on us is huge,” he said.

Doctors treating premature babies across Gaza are grappling with similar fears. At least 130 premature babies are at “grave risk” across six neonatal units, aid workers said. The dangerous fuel shortages are caused by the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which started — along with airstrikes — after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7.

At least 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are unable to access essential health services, and some 5,500 are due to give birth in the coming month, according to the World Health Organization.

At least seven of the almost 30 hospitals have been forced to shut down due to damage from relentless Israeli strikes and lack of power, water and other supplies. Doctors in the remaining hospitals said they are on the brink. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it has enough fuel to last three days to serve critical needs.

“The world cannot simply look on as these babies are killed by the siege on Gaza … A failure to act is to sentence these babies to death,” said Melanie Ward, chief executive of the Medical Aid for Palestinians aid group.

None of the 20 aid trucks that crossed into Gaza on Saturday, the first since the siege was imposed, contained fuel, amid Israeli fears it will end up in Hamas’ hands. Limited fuel supplies inside Gaza were being sent to hospital generators.

    • Zorque@kbin.social
      165·
      1 year ago

      Sounds like terrorists are just as much pieces of shit as authoritarian regimes bent on the utter annihilation of their enemies.

      Surprise surprise.

    • girlfreddyOPEnglish
      104·
      1 year ago

      It (the UN) added, “Our staff were compelled to evacuate the headquarters in Gaza City on a few hours’ notice during the night of Friday 13 October. Since then, UNRWA has had no access to the compound and no additional details about the removal of assets.”

      The tweet was from the 16th. So who found out the fuel was gone and verified who took it if no one had been there for 3 days?

    • Kecessa
      53·
      1 year ago

      Most western countries do because of a guilt complex after WW2 where most of them didn’t care about the Jews just like they don’t care about all the genocides going on right now.

      Remember, no one went to war against Germany to save the Jews, it just happened to be a consequence of kicking Hitler’s butt.

      See how many countries are going to war against China for their genocides? Rwanda? Bosnia?Ukraine is stuck sacrificing itself, they receive support but not direct involvement. We know North Korea has camps similar to the German ones, we don’t intervene. Heck, I don’t see any western countries going to war against the countries where first Nations are disappearing because of governmental decisions (sometimes through a referendum!)

      • ratz30 @lemmy.world
        33·
        1 year ago

        It’s on Hamas as the elected government that they never put any resources towards anything but their “military” activities. Maybe if they put more effort into building Gazan infrastructure than shooting rockets they wouldn’t be almost entirely reliant on their own enemies for fuel and electricity.