GAZA, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Several primary medical centers in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip were closed due to the Israeli army's demand for evacuation, Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday.
The health authorities stated that due to the expanding evacuation zones in Khan Younis, several primary healthcare centers and field medical points have been closed, adding it is no longer possible to reopen the European Hospital near the city.
They warned that the increase in the number of displaced people in areas with sewage flows and accumulated waste, without personal hygiene supplies, creates optimal conditions for the spread of diseases such as polio and other illnesses that can rapidly spread among displaced people.
The health authorities cautioned that the further expansion of displacement zones could lead to the evacuation of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the only hospital still operating in the area. Its closure would result in a catastrophic health crisis.
The ministry called on international organizations for urgent intervention to protect the remaining health facilities, ensure their continued operation, and provide necessary resources and supplies.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Saturday morning that due to significant "terrorist" activity and rocket fire toward Israel from the southern area of Khan Younis, remaining in this area has become dangerous.
Between July 22 and 25, about 182,000 people were displaced from central and eastern Khan Younis to the Al Mawasi area, labeled a "humanitarian zone" by Israeli authorities, according to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday.
None of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are fully functional, the update said, adding that 16 remain partially functional, with some providing only minimal healthcare services.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 39,258, Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday. ■
