‘Pray for our safety’: Indonesian hospital in Gaza struggles to treat surging casualties

JAKARTA: The Indonesian hospital in Gaza is struggling to help an increasing number of people wounded by Israeli airstrikes amid intensified bombardment, the nongovernmental organization that funds the facility’s infrastructure said on Monday.  

The Indonesia Hospital in northern Gaza, which was built from donations organized by the Jakarta-based Medical Emergency Rescue Committee, was among the first targets hit by Israeli air raids. Over 8,000 Palestinians, including more than 3,100 children, have been killed since Tel Aviv escalated bombardments following an Oct. 7 attack by the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.  

The facility in Beit Lahiya has been inundated with patients after over three weeks of bombing by Israeli forces and is facing a dwindling stock of medicines and limited electricity as fuel supply runs out in the densely populated enclave.  

“The medical staff has been working 24 hours to treat all the patients sent to the Indonesia Hospital,” Fikri Rofiul Haq, a MER-C volunteer at the hospital, said in a voice message shared with Arab News.  

“The Indonesia Hospital has been overwhelmed by the number of bodies delivered to the morgue so some of them have been placed outside … The number of injured is surging to the point that some of them are treated outside of the treatment rooms, in the corridors.” 

More than 1,000 people, over 60 percent of whom are children and women, have died at the Indonesia Hospital alone, Haq said, adding that the facility has also treated around 3,000 wounded patients.  

The hospital was forced to shut down some critical services last week after the generators failed, as Tel Aviv’s forces prohibited fuel from entering Gaza. People on the strip were also under a near-total communications blackout for almost 36 hours following Israeli air attacks on Friday.  

“Last Friday at 11:00 (a.m.), we were cut off from internet connection and phone services for about two days. As a result, we lost contact with the MER-C headquarters team and also media outlets,” Haq said.  

Israeli troops have reportedly started ground operations in recent days, as Tel Aviv subjected the besieged territory to the heaviest bombardment since the escalation began.  

“The last three nights have been fulminating because of the bombs from the Israeli military hitting residential homes,” Haq said. “From day to night, we can hear hundreds of explosions … Aside from the airstrikes, we can also hear ground attacks happening on the border.”  

Some ceilings of the Indonesia Hospital, located less than 5 km away from the northern Gaza border, have collapsed due to the constant air raids, Haq added.  

“We’re asking you to pray for our safety and for the safety of Gaza residents from the attacks of Israeli Zionists,” he said.