Article – Israeli airstrikes hammered southern and central Gaza this week, killing at least 37 Palestinians and forcing the closure of a major hospital that had been one of the last functioning medical facilities in the territory. The developments mark yet another critical deterioration of Gaza’s healthcare system as the war approaches its eighth month.
Standing outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, I watched exhausted medical workers evacuate patients after nearby Israeli bombardments shattered windows and damaged critical infrastructure. “We’ve performed surgeries by mobile phone light for months,” Dr. Khalil Mazen told me as ambulances transferred critical cases to the European Gaza Hospital. “Now we can’t even do that. There’s nowhere left for these people.”
Medical officials from Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the hospital closure leaves just three partially functioning medical facilities in a territory where over 34,000 Palestinians have been killed since October. The statistics, while disputed by Israel, have been deemed generally reliable by UN officials and independent observers tracking casualty figures.
The Israeli military maintains its operations target Hamas fighters who they claim operate from civilian areas, including near medical facilities. “Our forces act with precision based on intelligence,” an IDF spokesperson said in a statement to reporters yesterday. However, on-the-ground reality reveals a more complex and devastating picture for civilians.
In Khan Younis, where I traveled after the hospital evacuation, 12-year-old Ahmed showed me the remains of his family’s three-story home, now reduced to concrete fragments and twisted rebar. “Seven people from my family died here,” he said matter-of-factly, pointing to where they had been sleeping when the strike hit. “We had nothing to do with fighting.”
The latest escalation follows Israel’s withdrawal from the southern city of Rafah last week, where military operations displaced nearly 800,000 people, according to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs. Many of those fleeing had already been displaced multiple times since October.
“We’re seeing the systematic destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure,” explains Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories. “The targeting—whether direct or indirect—of healthcare facilities represents a potential violation of international humanitarian law that demands investigation.”
The economic impact compounds the humanitarian crisis. World Bank assessments indicate Gaza’s economy has effectively collapsed, with damages to infrastructure exceeding $18.5 billion—nearly double the territory’s annual GDP before the war began.
Inside a crowded shelter in central Gaza, I met Samira, a mother of four who fled Rafah last month. “We’ve moved seven times since October,” she told me while preparing a meager meal of rice and canned beans. “My husband was an engineer. Now we depend on aid that barely comes.”
The suspension of funding to UNRWA, the UN agency primarily responsible for Palestinian refugees, has dramatically worsened conditions. Though some countries have restored funding, deliveries of aid remain inconsistent and insufficient, with an estimated 96% of Gaza’s population facing acute food insecurity according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, described the situation as “a man-made disaster with political solutions.” Speaking at a donor conference in Jordan last week, he emphasized that “humanitarian aid alone cannot address the catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.”
Israeli citizens, particularly hostage families, continue to pressure their government for a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of the remaining captives taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack. That assault killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 hostages being taken to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
At weekly demonstrations in Tel Aviv, the division within Israeli society has become increasingly visible. “Netanyahu is sacrificing the hostages for political survival,” said Michal Cohen, whose cousin remains in captivity. “Every day without a deal is another day they might not survive.”
The international diplomatic response remains fragmented. While the United States continues providing military support to Israel, it has increasingly expressed concerns about civilian casualties and humanitarian access. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s sixth visit to the region since October yielded little tangible progress toward ending hostilities.
European nations have adopted varying positions, with Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognizing Palestinian statehood, while Germany and others maintain unwavering support for Israel’s security concerns.
For Palestinians in Gaza like Mahmoud, a former university professor I spoke with in a crowded displacement camp, the diplomatic maneuvers feel disconnected from their reality. “We hear about negotiations and ceasefires while bombs fall on us,” he said. “The world debates while we bury our children.”
As night fell over Gaza, the dull thud of explosions continued across the horizon. The closure of Al-Aqsa Hospital represents more than just another facility shuttered—it signals the further unraveling of a healthcare system already pushed beyond breaking point, in a war with no end in sight.
