Gaza, August 04 (QNA) - The relentless Israeli actions to throttle the access of medical supplies to the Gaza Strip would have direct consequences for the lives of tens of thousands of patients with heart disease and those receiving dental care, the Gaza Rights Center warned in a statement Tuesday.

The watchdog contended that the Israeli occupation's pursuit of this flagrant policy is intended to strangle the health system in the enclave through restrictions on medical supplies and equipment classified as "dual-use" items, which are almost entirely blocked from entering the Strip.

It warned that blocking access to these essential items amounts to a persistent crime against the right to health and life, pushing the health system to thoroughly crumble despite its efforts to punch way above its weight amid overwhelming shortages.

The statement cautioned that dental medicine in Gaza is almost entirely collapsing, with WHO data indicating that nearly 84% of health facilities have either been damaged or decimated since the start of the war of annihilation.

This devastation has affected a significant number of public, charitable, and private dental clinics, with the vast majority rendered inoperable, the statement warned.

It noted that only one public dental clinic is operating in Khan Younis, a city home to hundreds of thousands of residents, alongside two UNRWA-run clinics and a limited number of partially functioning private clinics.

This amounts to almost three clinics per 100,000 people - a worrisome development that highlights the widening gap between healthcare needs and available services, the statement continued.

The center called on the WHO, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN, and all countries to bend every effort to secure a safe and sustainable medical corridor, warning of an alarming humanitarian situation caused by restrictions on life-saving supplies.

It urged prioritizing essential equipment for cardiac surgery, intensive care, dentistry, operating rooms, dialysis, and other critical services.

International organizations, including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), stated that they encountered prolonged and complete disruptions to the entry of medical supplies and equipment, thereby jeopardizing the provision of care for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

They added that a significant number of oxygen production stations in the enclave had been destroyed, while the entry of spare parts needed to maintain the remaining facilities had been blocked, threatening a complete oxygen shortage for patients and newborns. (QNA)