Gaza Health Ministry: Israel's forced closure of Al-Awda hospital is a crime
In a statement posted on Telegram, the Al-Awda Hospital administration confirmed, 'The occupation forces are currently carrying out a forced evacuation of patients and medical staff from the only hospital still operating in northern Gaza.'
The statement said the evacuation followed 'days of siege and repeated targeting of the hospital, which constitutes a direct threat to the right to health and life and is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.'
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza condemned the evacuation, calling it a 'continuation of the occupation's crimes and violations against the health system in the Strip.' The ministry called on all concerned international parties to intervene to protect medical facilities in line with international and humanitarian laws.
According to Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 'Israel has deprived some 400,000 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip of health services after forcibly closing Al-Awda Hospital, the last medical facility operating in the area.'
Earlier on Thursday, the hospital administration reported that the Israeli army used explosive-laden drones around the building and fired heavily at its staff before ordering the facility's evacuation.
At the time of evacuation, the hospital had 97 people inside, including 13 patients and wounded individuals, as well as 84 medical staff.
Medical sources confirmed that with Al-Awda's closure, all hospitals in northern Gaza are now out of service. This includes Al-Awda, Al-Indonesi, and Kamal Adwan hospitals, shut down due to direct targeting and prolonged siege.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health reported that 22 out of 38 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are now out of service due to Israeli attacks. The situation marks a near-total collapse of the Strip's health infrastructure.
The forced evacuation follows a series of deliberate attacks on Al-Awda Hospital. Last Thursday, Israeli forces targeted a medicine warehouse inside the hospital, sparking a fire. Two booby-trapped drones were also detonated nearby, causing serious structural damage, according to the hospital administration.
Al-Awda Hospital, a private institution, has two branches: one in central Gaza and the other in Jabalia Refugee Camp, northern Gaza. Despite limited resources due to the ongoing Israeli blockade, it had continued offering emergency medical care until Thursday's evacuation.
The hospital had already endured repeated shelling, sniper fire, and siege conditions over the past weeks. These assaults are part of a systematic Israeli policy targeting Gaza's health institutions.
On May 18, Israeli forces imposed a siege on the Indonesian Hospital, while Kamal Adwan Hospital was subjected to multiple air raids. The targeting of these facilities, according to Palestinian officials, aims to completely dismantle healthcare access in northern Gaza.
Israel continues to justify such actions with unsubstantiated claims that hospitals are being used by Palestinian resistance groups. However, international organizations, press investigations, and human rights groups have refuted these allegations, emphasizing that no credible evidence has been presented.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has conducted a wide-scale military campaign in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian health authorities, over 177,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded, most of them women and children, and more than 11,000 remain missing.
The health crisis is compounded by the closure of Gaza's border crossings since March 2, which has halted the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and humanitarian aid, creating a catastrophic situation for over 2.4 million residents, the majority of whom are now displaced and homeless.
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