War and Wounds: The Human Cost of Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza's Healthcare

Escalating Attacks in Northern Gaza

At least 12 Palestinians have lost their lives in recent Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, with medics reporting a continuing onslaught as Israeli forces maintain their siege and ground operations in the northern region of the territory. Seven fatalities were recorded following an attack on the city of Beit Lahiya, while additional strikes in central and southern Gaza accounted for five more deaths.

A man who was injured during Israeli bombardment on Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, is placed on a cart

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has raised alarms over ongoing assaults on the Kamal Adwan Hospital, the final partially functioning medical facility in northern Gaza. According to the ministry, “Occupation forces are relentlessly targeting all areas of the hospital.”

Catastrophic Conditions at Kamal Adwan Hospital

Hossam Abu Safieh, the hospital director, described the situation as “catastrophic,” stating that Israeli forces did not provide prior notice before the attack. He lamented, “Several of our staff members have been injured, and we are trapped inside the hospital,” questioning the motives behind such targeted strikes. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud noted that this is the second attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital in recent weeks. “The facility is no longer functioning as a proper healthcare institution; it primarily serves as a place for treating injuries and receiving the deceased,” he explained.

Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

Israel's military initiated a siege and ground offensive in northern Gaza on October 5, citing the need to prevent Hamas fighters from regrouping in the area. Palestinians contend that the intensified offensives and evacuation orders aim to clear northern Gaza towns and refugee camps to establish buffer zones, a claim Israel denies.

Since the escalation of conflict in October 2023, Palestinian health authorities report that at least 43,374 individuals have died in Gaza, with 102,261 others injured. This violence followed a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in at least 1,139 Israeli deaths and the abduction of approximately 250 people.

In a concerning development earlier on November 4, Israel announced its decision to sever ties with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), amidst ongoing international calls for the agency's essential role in humanitarian aid efforts. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini emphasized that this action, along with restrictions on aid truck entry, would exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis facing two million people in Gaza. “Diminishing humanitarian access while dismantling UNRWA will compound the already unbearable suffering,” Lazzarini stated. However, an Israeli government spokesperson refuted claims of aid restrictions, noting that 47 aid trucks had entered northern Gaza on the preceding Sunday.