Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been overwhelmed with casualties following airstrikes by the Israeli military in the densely-populated enclave.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a humanitarian corridor to be created to allow critical medical supplies to be delivered into Gaza.

The ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas has left over 1,200 Israelis and at least 900 Palestinians dead as of Oct. 11, according to France24, with thousands more wounded.

'Overwhelmed' hospitals, waves of casualties

Following a wave of attacks by Hamas militants from Gaza on Oct. 7, the Israeli military responded with airstrikes on Gaza for four straight days, according to Al Jazeera.

Waves of casualties are being sent to already "overwhelmed" hospitals, the BBC reported.

Many arriving at hospitals in Gaza were suffering from shrapnel injuries and burns of second- and third-degree, Palestinian health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra told Shihab Agency on Oct. 9, as reported by CNN. 

Some had sustained injuries so severe that amputations were needed.

Women and children make up the majority of the patients requiring hospital care, added Ashraf.

No electricity to operate: Palestinian health ministry

Israel has imposed a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, cutting off supplies of electricity, water and fuel.

The lack of electricity for hospitals to operate "threatens the lives of all sick and injured people", said Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza in a press release on Oct. 10 at 1am (Singapore time).

The Beit Hanoun hospital has been forced out of service since Oct. 10 due to the strikes, according to the Palestinian ministry. It is supposedly the only hospital in the Beit Hanoun city in northern Gaza.

The Palestinian ministry made an emergency appeal for vital medicines, disposable medical products, fuel, and high-capacity generators.

Almost out of fuel

WHO stated that the hospitals in Gaza Strip are currently operating with back-up generators with fuel that would possibly run out in the "coming days".

Many wounded people, including many children, were seen being rushed to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera. Al-Shifa is Gaza's largest hospital.

Al Jazeera also said that healthcare workers are "overwhelmed", and added:

"There is a white tent in the yard of the hospital, a [makeshift] extension to the morgue because they are full of bodies.

Some of the families have already taken their relatives quickly … in order to empty the morgue. No funerals are being held due to the intensity of the bombing.”

Urgent need to create humanitarian corridor: UN & WHO

The United Nations has called for the war to stop and more urgently, for a humanitarian corridor to be created into the Gaza Strip.

The WHO met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who agreed to create a humanitarian corridor via the Rafah crossing to deliver medical and other supplies, as said in an Oct. 10 media statement.

Adding that its previous supplies to Gaza before the outbreak of war had already been "exhausted", WHO is also urgently working to get local medial supplies, and is preparing supplies from its Global Medical Logistics Hub in Dubai, UAE.

It added:

"WHO is also gravely concerned about the health and well-being of hostages, including elderly civilians, seized from Israel by Hamas in attacks on 7 October. The hostages’ health and medical needs must be addressed immediately, and we call for their safe release."

WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told a press briefing in Geneva through Al Jazeera:

“WHO is calling for an end to the violence … a humanitarian corridor is needed to reach people with critical medical supplies.”

Top image from World Health Organization/X.