Israel's recent military operations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah have forced local main hospitals to shut down, which will further exacerbate the already severe humanitarian crisis.

Israel ordered new evacuations on Saturday in Rafah as it prepared to escalate its military operation, a day after the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution endorsing the Palestinian request for full UN membership.

More than one million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge in Rafah, where a dire humanitarian crisis looms large due to shortages of essential supplies such as water, food and medical care.

Abdul was wounded in an Israeli air strike soon after the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He then underwent multiple operations at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip to save his life.

However, Israeli forces stormed the only operational hospital in the region on Dec 12, 2023, after besieging and bombarding it for several days.

Abdul and his family had to flee south to Rafah so that he continue his treatment at the Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital. But Israel's intensive bombardment in Rafah has forced the hospital to close its doors.

Abdul has almost lost all hope of receiving medical treatment. He has to find another shelter to escape the bombing.

"According to my doctor's advice, I need to continue with the medical treatment, but now it's impossible, and I need transfusion but there are no drugs. I also need another surgery because the artificial part of my collarbone has come off. I wonder if there is any place here to provide medical services. This is not just for myself, as there are too many wounded people here," said Abdul.

By Saturday, the Najjar Hospital and Kuwait Hospital, the only two main hospitals providing medical services in Rafah, had been out of operation due to the new impending crisis of Israel's intensified military operations.

"I'm not sure when the Israelis will attack here and everyone in and around the hospital is ready to evacuate, although for the wounded there's nowhere else to go but the hospital, but we're not accepting the patients anymore," said Marwan al-Hams, the general director of the Najjar hospital.

The UN has warned that a Rafah invasion would lead to a rise in civilian casualties.

Around 110,000 people had fled Rafah in search of safety as Israeli bombardment intensifies in the city, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on social media on Friday.

Ten out of 34 UNRWA medical points in Rafah were forced to close and its three operational health centers in the area were operating at reduced capacity, it added.

SHOTLIST:

Rafah City, Gaza Strip - May 12, 2024
1. Various of Abdul, wounded in Israeli air strike, walking with stick into tent, checking his leg;
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdul, displaced Palestinian in Rafah (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3):
"According to my doctor's advice, I need to continue with the medical treatment, but now it's impossible, and I need transfusion but there are no drugs. I also need another surgery because the artificial part of my collarbone has come off. I wonder if there is any place here to provide medical services. This is not just for myself, as there are too many wounded people here."
3. Various of Abdul taking medicine;
4. Various of abandoned hospital interior;
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Marwan al-Hams, general director, Najjar hospital (ending with shot 6):
"I'm not sure when the Israelis will attack here and everyone in and around the hospital is ready to evacuate, although for the wounded there's nowhere else to go but the hospital, but we're not accepting the patients anymore.";
6. Various of closed doors of hospital;
7. Empty street, abandoned hospital.

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