As Israel's ground assault escalates in Rafah, those wounded are facing challenges in accessing medical care. However, the UAE field hospital--the only hospital on the ground-- had remained operational amid the worsening Israeli assault on Rafah.
The hospital set up as part of the UAE's Gallant Knight 3 humanitarian operation is situated in the centre of Rafah city. The 150-bed hospital started functioning in December last year.
According to Sultan Al Kaabi, the director of the hospital, despite the continued Israeli shellings in Rafah, the hospital is determined to deliver services.
"The UAE field hospital continues to receive injured people and provide treatment to patients despite the current situation in Rafah city," Al Kaabi told The National.
Meanwhile, the doctors in Gaza warned the authorities that Israel's blocking of fuel, food and aid from entering the enclave will impact hundreds of lives.
Recently, a statement by the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, in the north of the Strip, said that they will soon be out of service if fuel is not supplied.
Ahead of the intensifying ground offensive, Israel had ordered the evacuation of Rafah city including the hospitals. "Currently, there is no other place for patients and injured individuals except this hospital," said Rafah's Kuwaiti hospital director Dr Sohaib Al Hams told The National.
According to the UNRWA, around 3,00,00 people have fled Rafah since the ground assault. Most are heading to the heavily damaged nearby city of Khan Younis or Mawasi, a crowded tent camp on the coast where some 450,000 people are already living in squalid conditions.
Rafah is home to over 1.3 million Palestinians.
Israeli troops have captured the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing. Rafah, which borders Egypt remains the main entry point for aid to Gaza. However, Egypt has refused to coordinate with Israel on the delivery of aid through the crossing due to the escalation in the war.
US President Joe Biden had said that his country won't provide weapons to Israel for striking Rafah. The US said that there was reasonable evidence that Israel had breached international law protecting civilians. While Israel has rejected those allegations and said that they are trying to avoid harming civilians.
