Lack Of Medical Supplies Life-Threatening For Gazans

Power cuts and lack of medical supplies at Gaza hospitals could increase the death toll further, Serdar Cam, head of Turkey's international co-operation and co-ordination agency TIKA, told Anadolu Agency Thursday.



The Palestinian death toll from Israel's devastating military offensive against the Gaza Strip rose to 745 on Thursday, according to Palestinian health ministry.



The Israeli offensive paralyzed Gaza's infrastructure, leading to water and power outages, Cam said, adding that most of the hospitals in the area have been bombed, and the few hospitals that are working are in dire need of medical supplies and power generator fuel. 



 "There are about 200 kinds of medical supplies that are urgently required, and TIKA's Gaza office is doing its best to promptly supply this demand," Cam said.



Cam has underlined that the death toll could increase further unless hospitals are provided with generator fuel, and said that the main handicap in this regard is the inability to transfer money to Gaza as the banks are closed amid ongoing attacks.



The other main issue which hinders provision of medical supplies is the fact that the Kerem Shalom Crossing is open only sporadically, Cam noted.



Kerem Shalom (Karam Abu Salem in Arabic) has served as the Gaza Strip's only commercial crossing since Israel first established its embargo on the embattled coastal enclave in 2006.



"We are also working hard to evacuate the patients who cannot be treated in Gaza, but it has been a difficult process," Cam said.



So far, 745 Palestinians including 182 children, 92 women and 45 elders have been killed and 4,633 people have been wounded since Israel launched an air force offensive on Gaza on July 7 and a full scale land operation ten days later. 



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