The 20-month-long Israeli occupation

is taking a devastating toll on pregnant women and nursing mothers in the besieged Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah said that nearly 50,000 women are currently at extreme health risk due to severe shortages of food and essential medicines, Al Jazeera reported.

Hospital spokesman Khalil al-Dakran told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that the abortion rate in Gaza has increased sixfold since the start of the war. At the same time, the number of premature births has also increased dramatically, leading to the collapse of neonatal intensive care units.

He said that the Israeli attack has almost completely destroyed Gaza's health system, putting patients in grave danger.

Khalil al-Dakran added that more

than 23 hospitals in Gaza have been forced to close due to the ongoing Israeli attacks. The remaining ones that are open are barely functioning. The main reasons for this are shortages of emergency medical supplies and fuel.

As a result, more than 12,000 cancer patients in Gaza are not receiving treatment. About 5 cancer patients are dying every day. Kidney patients are also dying due to lack of necessary dialysis treatment.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli forces had attacked the roof of the administrative building of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, calling the attack part of a "planned policy" aimed at destroying Gaza's health system.