First field hospital enters enclave since war began

Palestinian officials said a field hospital sent by Jordan entered the Gaza Strip Monday, the first since the war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza's ruling party, erupted on Oct. 7.

"The hospital will be established in Khan Yunis, to receive the wounded and the sick, under catastrophic conditions which southern hospitals are experiencing, with the influx of hundreds of wounded each day and continued aggressive aerial and artillery strikes," said Mohammed Zaqout, director-general of Gaza hospitals.

There are around 30,000 wounded people across Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The death toll in Gaza has hit 13,000, mostly civilians, the ministry announced Sunday.

Weeks of intense bombardment and severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies mean most Gaza hospitals have stopped functioning. According to the Nov. 18 report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 25 of the Strip's 35 hospitals are out of service and 55 ambulances damaged.

Aed Yaghi, head of medical aid in Gaza, said the field hospital will help ease the pressure on existing health services.

"The number of medical personnel is limited and there aren't [enough] ambulances," Yaghi told AFP.

The Jordanian field hospital reached Gaza accompanied by 170 personnel and 40 trucks of medical aid.

All goods and individuals entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt are subject to Israeli approval.

The head of Gaza's crossings authority, Hisham Adwan, said six ambulances from Kuwait also entered the territory on Monday.