By Alastair McCready

    Israel faces global criticism over the mounting death toll and devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza with more than 900,000 Palestinians displaced by fighting in just two weeks and now lacking shelter, food, water and medicine.

    Al-Aqsa Hospital medical director Iyad al-Jabri said there is no fuel to power generators and without electricity: “All the patients will be condemned to death. Especially those in the ICU, the incubators and those relying on dialysis treatment”.

    Israeli tanks and troops advance in Rafah’s southeast, edging towards the city’s densely populated western district as they continue to operate in three eastern suburbs, with Palestinian fighters fiercely resisting the ground invasion.

    The last two functioning hospitals in northern Gaza’s Jabalia region remain under a days-long siege as Israel’s army targets the critical health facilities with artillery and small-arms fire.

    At least 35,800 people have been killed and 80,011 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attack is 1,139, with dozens still held captive.

    US soldier in ‘critical condition’ due to non-combat injury sustained on Gaza aid pier

    An American soldier is in “critical condition” after suffering a non-combat injury while working on a US-constructed aid pier off the coast of Gaza, the Reuters news agency reports, citing an anonymous US defence official.

    Earlier we reported that deputy commander of US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, told reporters that two other American troops had also suffered “very minor, routine injuries” while working on the pier.

    The third soldier was injured on a ship at sea and medically evacuated to an Israeli hospital, the anonymous source said, without specifying the nature of the injury.

    Some 1,000 US service members were involved in the construction of the pier, which went into operation last week, while it is estimated it will cost $320 million for the first 90 days to operate.

    ‘Patients condemned to death’ as power cut at packed Al-Aqsa Hospital

    Iyad al-Jabri, medical director at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, said more than 4,000 litres of fuel was required each day to continue operations and care for patients the medical facility which is now in darkness as power generators have shut down.

    “We have hundreds of patients including the injured and those that are diagnosed with kidney failure and need electricity for their dialysis treatment,” al-Jabri said in a statement at the hospital.

    “This will stop completely without any fuel,” he said.

    “We are calling on international organisations to send 50,000 litres of fuel before there is an imminent crisis here. Otherwise, it is the injured that pay the price. All the patients will be condemned to death. Especially those in the ICU, the incubators and those relying on dialysis treatment,” he added.