Ankara, Oct 19 (IANS): Turkey is ready to provide health services to the Gaza Strip, including sending a floating hospital to the region, Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

Koca said Wednesday on social media platform X that Turkey is negotiating with WHO about cooperation in providing health services to Gaza, and is ready to send a floating hospital or establish a field hospital in the Palestinian enclave.

The Minister added Turkey could also provide health services to the Palestinians near the Rafah Crossing, the crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported.

Koca stressed his country would not remain an onlooker to the conflict, and it will make efforts to support civilians of Gaza with health services after the hospital blast.

At least 471 Palestinians were killed in a blast on the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip, and more than 314 others were wounded, said the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Wednesday.

On October 7, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched a surprise attack by firing thousands of rockets on Israeli military targets and towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompting extensive Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

The ongoing conflict has killed more than 4,000 people on both sides and wounded even more.