The MH Palestine Country Manager, Sa'eed Saleh, describes life in Gaza at the moment:

This is the first time I am able to write anything of what is happening to us here because there has been a power cut for two days. During that time, the scale of the crisis here has reached unimaginable levels -- there are already 350 people killed and 1000 people injured. It is no exaggeration to say that there has been no worse humanitarian catastrophe for Gaza since Israeli military occupation began in 1967.

I was in a meeting when the first of the air strikes began. At 11.30 in the morning, an aerial assault had begun and we were asked to evacuate the building immediately. As soon as I left the building, the first thing I saw were students in a nearby school running out of their classrooms. There was terror everywhere and children were inconsolable -- crying, screaming, scared and scrambling for their lives. The horror of that single moment was reflected by the entire population of Gaza- all 1.5 million people in the most densely populated area on earth.

In distress and panic, the worst had yet still to come. Homes, universities and mosques were reduced to rubble. Hospitals packed with casualties could not cope with the sheer number of the injured and dying as doctors and nurses frantically took up any possible space they could to carry out their jobs -- I saw so many patients being treated in the packed out and dilapidated hospital corridors.

The General Manager of Gaza hospitals told me there was simply no way for them to cope with little supplies, no space and an ever-increasing surge in the number of casualties in need of urgent, life saving care. Basic surgical disposable equipment like gloves and bandages had become a memory -- a luxury which does not belong amongst this chaos and bloodshed.

The shortage of ambulances, particularly those with ICU units ensured casualties soon saw an inevitable, though entirely avoidable death. Further to this, many forget Gaza has already been living under siege and almost two years of Israeli blockade. This means that the most basic of food, fuel and medical supplies have been severely restricted and so 80% of Gazans have become entirely dependent on food assistance just to survive from one day to another.

The entire health system is crippled by a lack of medicines and electricity to run life-saving machines. Almost half of all ambulances are in a state of disrepair desperately needing fuel to run and repairs to function properly. All hospitals here are no experiencing power cuts lasting from 10-15 hours a day.

Whilst I write this, bombs are flying above my house. Gaza needs your support at our most desperate hour.

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Though most of us didn't think it was possible, the situation has actually deteriorated drastically since my last entry. The air attacks and intensifying and the number of civilians killed and injured is soaring by the hour. The sound of the constant air attacks is traumatising the children.

Today, a massive air attack targeted my neighbourhood and destroyed a total of four civilian buildings filled with families, women and children.

Just the sound and vibrations reverberating from the bomb was enough to shake the foundation of my home with windows smashed and my doors blown off their hinges. Without doubt, this was the scariest moment of my life. All I could do is look down as my children began to cry and scream. Outside the window, there are people running everywhere, more children wailing and women covered in dust. More dead, many more homes destroyed.

On the work front we managed to supply Gaza hospitals with desperately needed surgical equipment and are expecting more aid supplies imminently.

Don't forget us here -- Gaza is on its knees.

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The military attacks have intensified and the ground operation started 2 days ago. My house is located in Northern Gaza which is the most unstable spot in the Gaza Strip. From my home, I can see the bombs falling on the houses. Two days ago, I saw a large water reservoir being hit and destroyed. This reservoir is one of the main sources of drinking water for more than 120,000 inhabitants.

Electricity and telecommunications are down over most of the Gaza Strip. Gaza hospitals have been without electricity for more than 48 hours and they depend upon the generators. The hospitals warn that the generators are close to collapse. At the AlShifa hospital, a collapse would carry immediate consequences for 70 intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The security situation is also preventing medical staff from reaching hospitals.

According to Gaza's water utility, approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip population has no access to water, in particular Gaza City and northern Gaza, due to the electricity cuts and lack of fuel for back-up generators.

Many houses have been destroyed so far and about 13,000 people have been internally displaced. I met a mother of five daughters and she told me while they were sleeping at night a big bomb fell on the house which destroyed most of it. She just thanks God that all the family were sleeping in one of the safest rooms, though one of her daughters was still injured.

Most houses have removed the glass windows in order for them not to be smashed by the nearby bombs and the weather is so cold, close to freezing, because there is neither electricity nor fuel for heating.

Today I have been informed that most bakeries are closed because of the lack of both flour and electricity to run them. Despite difficulty in access, we have still managed to supply the Gaza hospitals for surgical disposables so far alhamdulillah.