Israeli forces intensify attacks on hospitals in Northern Gaza

Military encircled, attacked three hospitals in northern Gaza—Al-Awda, Kamal Adwan, and Indonesian hospital

Israeli military forces have intensified their invasion on northern Gaza, besieging hospitals and shelters for displaced civilians, deepening the humanitarian crisis as food and water supplies dwindle.

On Monday, Israeli forces encircled and attacked three hospitals in northern Gaza—Al-Awda, Kamal Adwan, and the Indonesian hospital.

These medical facilities were already struggling with overwhelming numbers of patients and dwindling supplies. Medics reported that Israeli troops detained men from a school-turned-shelter before setting the building on fire, resulting in power cuts at the Indonesian hospital.

Kamal Adwan Hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, revealed that two critically injured patients died in the ICU due to a lack of medical supplies, particularly blood.

This escalation comes amid Israel's broader attacks to dismantle Hamas, which has been ongoing for over a year.

The Israeli strikes have severely impacted the already fragile healthcare system, leading to the deaths of patients due to a lack of medical supplies, power outages, and blocked humanitarian access.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that Israeli forces were blocking aid deliveries, including critical food and medical supplies, from reaching northern Gaza.

“People attempting to flee are being killed, their bodies left on the street,” said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.

In response, Israeli officials have defended their actions, claiming that they are facilitating the safe evacuation of civilians, though Palestinian health officials dispute this, citing numerous casualties and ongoing strikes.

The situation in Jabalia, one of Gaza's largest refugee camps, has become dire.

Israeli attacks in the area killed at least 18 people on Monday, with five others killed in a separate airstrike on a home. The civilian population has been caught in the crossfire, with residents describing scenes of devastation.

"We are facing death by bombs, by thirst, and hunger," said Raed, a resident of Jabalia, expressing the desperation shared by many in northern Gaza, where over 1.9 million people have been left destitute and displaced.

Hadeel Obeid, a nurse at the Indonesian hospital, described the dire conditions. "We are running out of medical supplies, water has been cut off, and there is no food for the fourth consecutive day," she told Reuters.

The UN Human Rights Office has accused Israeli forces of obstructing humanitarian efforts and potentially committing war crimes by forcing displacement and interfering with medical care.

The United States has expressed concern about the humanitarian situation, with reports suggesting that Washington is pressuring Israel to alleviate the conditions in Gaza or risk restrictions on US military aid.

This follows the killing of Yahya Sinwar, a top Hamas leader, which raised hopes for ceasefire talks.

However, Israel remains determined to eradicate Hamas, which it blames for the October 2023 cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and led to the capture of over 250 hostages by Hamas fighters.

Israel’s actions have drawn increasing criticism from international humanitarian organizations.

The UN has been particularly vocal, highlighting that the overcrowding in remaining shelters is so severe that some displaced Palestinians are being forced to live in toilets.

Despite Israel's claims that it is delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza via land and air routes, local officials insist that no aid has reached the besieged northern areas.

The situation has also reignited the controversy surrounding Israel’s assertion that Hamas uses Gaza’s hospitals for military purposes.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, 99 American doctors who volunteered in Gaza refuted these claims.

The physicians, who collectively spent over 250 weeks working in Gaza’s hospitals, stated that they had never witnessed any militant activity in the medical facilities.

They described the catastrophic conditions in Gaza, noting severe malnutrition, shortages of medical supplies, and the impact of Israel’s military actions on women and children.

Pediatric nurse practitioner Asma Taha shared stories of infants dying from malnutrition and lack of basic medical supplies like infant formula.

Dr. Mark Perlmutter, another physician who worked in Gaza, recalled the heart-wrenching experience of holding a deceased infant's brain in his hands.

These accounts contradict Israel’s assertions that Hamas uses hospitals as military bases.

The group of doctors also referenced a July study from

The Lancet medical journal, which predicted that the death toll from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could surpass 186,000 due to the cumulative impact of the violence, shortages of medical care, and widespread displacement.

Israel has faced similar accusations in the past regarding the targeting of hospitals in Gaza.

In 2023, during the early stages of the conflict, Israeli forces bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, killing hundreds of civilians, including women and children, who had sought refuge there.

Israel claimed the hospital was being used by Hamas as a shield for military activities, though these claims were widely disputed by international observers and humanitarian organizations.

Such incidents have fueled allegations of war crimes against Israel at the International Court of Justice, where Hamas has accused Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

As Israeli forces press deeper into northern Gaza, the humanitarian toll continues to mount, with hospitals at the epicenter of the crisis.

Despite international condemnation, including from US officials and global human rights organizations, Israel remains resolute in its mission to eliminate Hamas.

However, as the death toll rises and Gaza’s healthcare system crumbles, the situation is increasingly seen as a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale.