BEIRUT, October 12. /TASS/. The healthcare system in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse due to Israeli strikes on the enclave, Palestinian Health Ministry Spokesman Ashraf Qudra said.

"The healthcare system in Gaza is quickly heading towards a collapse. Hospitals in the Strip may stop providing medical services in a few hours," he told the Al Mayadeen TV channel.

According to the health official, intensive care units can no longer admit new patients and the number of wounded people far exceeds the capacity of operating rooms.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel declared a state of readiness for war, announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank. Over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed and more than 6,800 have suffered wounds; in Israel, the death toll stands at about 1,500 and almost 4,000 people have been wounded.