Gaza Hospitals on Brink as Life-Support Systems Fail

In the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Hospital, a ventilator's rhythmic hum suddenly stops. Without electricity, medical staff must manually pump oxygen into a patient's lungs—a desperate measure that can't last long. This scene is becoming tragically common across Gaza's remaining hospitals.

When the Heart of Healthcare Stops Beating

Gaza's healthcare system is facing its darkest hour. After more than two years of devastating war, it's not just the buildings that are crumbling—the very lifelines keeping patients alive are shutting down.

Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza has lost both of its main generators. The facility now relies on just two small backup generators that medical teams describe as "completely unreliable." These backup systems could fail at any moment due to lack of fuel and essential spare parts.

"Generators are the heartbeat of every hospital here," reported Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum from Gaza City. "They power ventilators, incubators, surgical theaters, and dialysis machines. Without them, the healthcare system could easily collapse."

The numbers tell a grim story: more than 1,700 healthcare workers—doctors, nurses, and paramedics—have been killed since Israel's war began. The United Nations has accused Israel of deliberately targeting Gaza's medical facilities and personnel to systematically destroy the enclave's healthcare infrastructure.

A Ceasefire That Isn't

Despite a US-backed "ceasefire" in place since October 10, the reality on the ground remains unchanged. Israel continues to violate the truce agreement daily, launching attacks and blocking the free flow of agreed medical aid and humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

Since the ceasefire began, nearly 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. This ongoing violence has deepened what Gaza's Health Ministry describes as a critical and ongoing health emergency.

The shortage of medical personnel is particularly acute, as Israel continues to detain 95 Palestinian doctors and medical workers, including 80 from Gaza. Meanwhile, the majority of Gaza's hospitals remain out of service, medication is scarce, and essential equipment is either damaged or destroyed.

The Bigger Picture: Healthcare as a Weapon

What's happening in Gaza represents more than a humanitarian crisis—it's a fundamental violation of international law. The Geneva Conventions explicitly protect medical facilities and personnel during armed conflict. Yet the systematic targeting of healthcare infrastructure suggests a deliberate strategy to make Gaza uninhabitable.

The hospital crisis forces an uncomfortable question: when does military strategy cross the line into collective punishment? The 72,000 Palestinians killed and 171,000 wounded since October 2023 include countless individuals who died not from direct attacks, but from lack of medical care.

In the coming hours, Al-Aqsa Hospital may have to ration electricity, prioritizing only the most critical wards. Without spare parts or fuel, this crisis will only deepen, leaving medical staff to make impossible choices about who receives life-saving care.