Hamas delegation in Cairo discusses ceasefire implementation, Gaza health warns of hospital shutdown

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has issued stern warnings of an impending humanitarian catastrophe within medical facilities, due to a severe shortage of oils necessary to operate electricity generators. The ministry affirmed that the continuation of this crisis threatens to halt vital health services amidst the complete power outage that the Strip has suffered from for a long time.

Bassam Al-Hammadeen, Assistant Undersecretary for Engineering and Medical Equipment, explained that the absence of these oils from local markets puts hundreds of patients in intensive care units and operating rooms at risk of certain death. He pointed out that the crisis is not limited to operating devices only, but also extends to include the risks of damage to children's vaccines and stored blood units that require continuous refrigeration.

The health authorities appealed to donors and international organizations for urgent intervention to secure the purchase of oils from outside the Strip and their immediate entry into hospitals and primary care centers. They also demanded real pressure on the occupation authorities to lift restrictions on the entry of these essential materials, as hospitals need about 2500 liters per month to ensure minimum operation.

This suffering comes at a time when the health sector relies entirely on electricity generators to compensate for the absence of the public grid, making the availability of fuel and oils a matter of life or death. Israel imposes strict restrictions on the entry of medical supplies and fuel, which has exacerbated the repercussions of the ongoing war of extermination that has destroyed large parts of the medical infrastructure.

On the political front, the Hamas movement announced the arrival of a high-level delegation from its leadership to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, headed by the movement's head in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya. The visit aims to follow up on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect last October, and to discuss the obstacles hindering the completion of its terms with the Egyptian leadership.

Upon its arrival, the delegation immediately began a series of intensive meetings with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, to assess the current phase of the agreement and ensure the occupation's commitment to implementing the required pledges. The tour is scheduled to include meetings with leaders of Palestinian factions present in Cairo to unify national positions on current issues.

The Cairo stop comes two days after discussions held by the delegation in Ankara with the head of the Turkish intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin, and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Discussions in Turkey focused on the rapidly accelerating field developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and ways to enhance humanitarian and political support for the Palestinian people.

Hamas stressed in its statement the necessity of obliging the occupation to implement all requirements of the first phase of the agreement without procrastination or delay. The delegation also provided a detailed explanation to the mediators about the deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions in the Strip, warning of an explosion of the situation if the siege and military violations continue.

In a related context, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati met with the High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, to discuss mechanisms for transitioning to the second phase of the proposed peace plan. The meeting addressed ways to consolidate calm amidst the continued Israeli violations that result in daily casualties despite the agreement.

Officials in Cairo discussed the challenges facing the implementation of 'Trump's plan' in its advanced stages, with a focus on the need to open crossings and facilitate the entry of relief aid. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry affirmed its commitment to supporting all efforts aimed at ending the suffering of the Strip's residents and achieving sustainable stability.

During its meetings, the movement's delegation warned of the dangerous Israeli escalation in the occupied city of Jerusalem, especially with the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque to Muslim worshippers. The movement considered that preventing prayer in Al-Aqsa represents a dangerous precedent aimed at imposing a new reality that paves the way for the temporal and spatial division of the mosque and its complete Judaization.

The discussions also touched upon the issue of prisoners, especially after the Israeli Knesset approved a law allowing the execution of Palestinian prisoners, which the movement described as a criminal decision. The Palestinian leadership warned of the repercussions of this law on the lives of thousands of detainees, calling on the international community to act to stop these blatant violations of international humanitarian law.

The lack of oil availability in the local market portends a health catastrophe and real death for hundreds of patients in sensitive departments.