Painful efforts: medical facilities in Gaza cannot cope with the flow of wounded

Hospitals in Gaza are overcrowded and facing an acute shortage of resources. Many institutions do not receive international assistance, which significantly worsens conditions for the population. This was stated to Izvestia by the head of the representative office of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in Russia and the Republic of Belarus, Frank Morhauer. At the same time, the movement has no information about the condition of the hostages held in Gaza, including Maxim Kharkin, but the situation is deeply worrying. The critical situation in Gaza is developing against the background of a sharp increase in the IDF's military activity. The Israeli army has begun construction of a new Morag corridor between Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south of the exclave. It is assumed that this corridor will become the central element of the new Israeli operation.

What is the condition of the Israeli hostages in Gaza?

The hospitals run by the Red Crescent in Gaza are overcrowded and in dire need of resources. Frank Morhauer, head of the representative office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Russia and the Republic of Belarus, told Izvestia that the humanitarian situation in the sector remains extremely difficult.

— We are deeply concerned about the general humanitarian situation in Gaza — the situation of the civilian population. The Palestinian Red Crescent is very active in Gaza, it provides humanitarian aid. We lost our colleagues there, and we really hope that this humanitarian situation will be alleviated soon. I don't have any information about the condition of the hostages," Morhauer said.

There are still 58 Israeli hostages in captivity by Hamas, among them Maxim Kharkin, a native of Donbass. The Palestinian Hamas movement warned earlier that Israel's actions were effectively condemning them to death.

— Our hospitals are absolutely overcrowded. Medical institutions that lose the support of the international community immediately stop coping with the flow of patients. This inevitably affects the entire population," he stressed.

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Previously, the Palestinian Red Crescent operated several hospitals in Gaza. Currently, the exact scale of operation of these facilities remains unclear, but some of them continue to operate despite the difficult conditions.

The Gaza Hospital Association previously announced the termination of contracts by the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) with a number of local hospitals and medical associations in Gaza. According to them, this decision jeopardizes thousands of life-saving medical procedures. The contracts, which were in force since 2011, covered the provision of assistance in natural childbirth, cesarean sections, gynecological interventions, as well as general surgical and specialized operations. About a thousand procedures were performed per month under these agreements.

The association clarified that they will be able to continue providing limited obstetric and gynecological care until the end of May, but they already need emergency funding to avoid collapse.

The new IDF operation

The critical situation in Gaza is developing against the background of a sharp increase in military activity. The Israeli army has begun construction of a new corridor between Rafah and Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. On April 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the creation of the so-called Morag corridor.

"We are taking control of the Morag axis. This will be the second Philadelphia corridor, an additional corridor," he said on social media. The axis' name refers to the former Jewish settlement of Morag, which was located between the two cities before its evacuation as part of Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005.

Daniel Bayman, an employee of the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, believes that the corridors serve primarily for the rapid movement of Israeli forces. At the same time, they make it difficult for the fighters of the Palestinian Hamas movement to move, effectively blocking them in certain areas for subsequent targeted attacks, the expert notes.

According to Bayman, if Israel completes the construction of the corridor, it will divide the Hamas forces and make it difficult for them to maneuver between these zones. In addition, Tel Aviv will be able to take greater control over the delivery of humanitarian aid and other goods in order to limit access to them by radical groups.

In turn, Andreas Krieg, a professor at King's College London, believes that this is not only about military tactics, but also about the strategy of territorial control. "We are witnessing a divide—and-rule policy in which Gaza is increasingly fragmented, creating small enclaves that are easier to manage," he explained.

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The Morag corridor may become a key element of the strategy approved by the Israeli Military Cabinet on May 5. It involves the capture of the entire Gaza Strip and the relocation of the remaining population to the southern regions "in order to protect them." Israeli media reported that the IDF will launch an operation called "Chariots of Gideon" if a hostage agreement is not reached during US President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East from May 13 to 16. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with IDF reservists that the army would enter Gaza in the coming days "with all its might" until the complete defeat of Hamas.

Morag could be the centerpiece of this offensive. Currently, about 1.4 million people are concentrated north of this corridor, which is more than half of the sector's population. If the isolation plan is implemented, this region will be cut off.

In parallel with the latest military escalation in the exclave, the negotiation track continues. Positive dynamics have emerged in the discussions mediated by Egypt and Qatar and with the active participation of U.S. representatives, the media reported. On May 12, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, the Izzaddin al—Qassam Brigades, released Israeli soldier Idan Alexander, who also holds American citizenship. Hamas called this step part of a package of measures aimed at ending hostilities, opening humanitarian corridors and resuming aid supplies to residents of the Gaza Strip.