The Indonesian-funded hospital in Gaza is facing a dire situation, struggling to care for numerous patients wounded in Israeli airstrikes. The facility is grappling with dwindling medical supplies and frequent power outages, forcing medical personnel to operate in darkness, according to the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), an Indonesian volunteer organisation that initiated the hospital’s construction in 2011.

Fikri Rofiul Haq, a MER-C volunteer, disclosed that the Indonesia Hospital has been overwhelmed with patients due to relentless Israeli bombings. Many Gaza residents have sought refuge in what they consider safer places, including this hospital, where over 1,500 residents are now sheltering.

The hospital recently experienced a power outage due to a fuel shortage linked to Israel’s blockade of essential supplies. Haq stated, “We are struggling to obtain fuel to restore power to the Indonesia Hospital. During the blackout, doctors had to perform surgeries and treat patients in complete darkness. The hospital urgently requires medical aid, and the staff is exhausted from working around the clock.”

Last Friday, all communications in Gaza were cut, hindering aid organisations’ efforts to contact their on-ground staff. MER-C is preparing to send a team to Egypt to collect aid for the hospital. In the midst of these challenges, the hope for a ceasefire grows, especially as winter approaches, with concerns that Gaza Strip refugees lack essential supplies.