In Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Asmaa Fayez managed to buy some zucchinis at a high cost from a market. She cooked them with rice and brought the dish to her 4-year-old son who had been hospitalized for a week. The soup was his only meal of the day, and he asked for more. “I’m sorry, darling, it’s all finished,” Fayez softly replied. She mentioned that it was an improvement from the usual canned beans and tuna she brings on other days.
Patients in hospitals are extremely vulnerable as people in Gaza face challenges feeding themselves due to Israel’s blockade on food and other supplies, now in its third month. With hospitals unable to provide food, families must bring whatever they can find for their loved ones. Dr. Khaled Alserr, a general surgeon at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, noted that most wounded patients have lost weight, especially in the past two months, and nutritional supplements for intensive care unit patients are lacking.
Malnutrition is increasing across Gaza, with thousands of children and adults suffering from acute malnutrition, according to aid groups and the U.N. Food sources have dried up, aid distributions have stopped, and local production of vegetables has declined due to damage from Israeli forces. Prices have risen, and markets are empty except for canned goods and limited vegetables.
Fayez’s son, Ali al-Dbary, was hospitalized due to a blocked intestine, likely worsened by a diet of canned goods. She splurged on the expensive zucchinis to feed him. The hospital lacks necessary equipment, like a functioning scanner, to diagnose patients. Israel imposed the blockade and resumed military actions to pressure Hamas to release hostages and disarm, following a conflict initiated by Hamas in October 2023.
There are concerns over Israeli plans to control aid distribution in Gaza using private contractors, with rights groups labeling the blockade a “starvation tactic” and a potential war crime.
Some have opposed the idea, arguing that it may limit who can give and receive aid, potentially displacing many Palestinians in violation of international law. Patients and their families struggling to secure food at hospitals would encounter additional hurdles under Israel’s plan, with the possibility of relocating for assistance becoming difficult. At Nasser Hospital, 19-year-old Asmaa Faraj had fragments in her chest from an airstrike near her shelter and a charity kitchen in a camp for displaced persons near Khan Younis. During the visit, she had only a small supply of dates, a date cookie, and water, while her sister brought pickles. The lack of protein, fruits, and vegetables was noted by Asmaa’s sister, Salwa Faraj. Mohammed al-Bursh managed to procure some canned tuna and beans for his son Sobhi, who was injured in an airstrike three months ago, resulting in the amputation of his left foot and two fractured vertebrae in his neck. In the hospital bed, Al-Bursh carefully fed his son beans as Sobhi described the constant pain he endures, limiting his diet to ease the financial burden on his father. He believes that meat is essential for his recovery, expressing frustration over the lack of progress after three months. For more on AP’s coverage of the conflict, visit https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
