TEHRAN – Since October 2023, the Gaza Strip has witnessed an unprecedented and systematic assault on its healthcare infrastructure by Israeli forces.

 This campaign has not only targeted hospitals, clinics, and ambulances but also medical personnel, resulting in extensive destruction and a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions.

 The ongoing offensive has critically weakened Gaza’s already fragile health system, pushing it to the verge of total collapse and sparking global condemnation.

Widespread destruction of medical facilities

Between October 7, 2023, and May 20, 2025, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have severely damaged Gaza’s medical system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been at least 686 attacks on healthcare-related sites during this period. 

These include attacks on 122 health facilities, including 33 hospitals and 180 ambulances, many of which are now non-functional or working at very low levels.

One of the worst of the strikes took place on May 13, 2025, when Israeli air strikes took out the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, among the largest in the territory.

The attack left at least 28 people dead and around 40 others injured. The hospital had taken on displaced civilians in addition to its usual patients, making the disaster even larger in scale. 

On the same day, the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis was hit, killing two, among them a journalist.

In northern Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital was forced to cease operations amid heavy bombardment and siege. Around 30 patients and 15 staff were trapped inside. 

Several other hospitals—including Al Adwan, Al Shifa, and Al Awda—have suffered similar fates due to strikes, encirclement, or siege, further paralyzing emergency medical response capabilities.

Civilian casualties and medical staff losses

The human toll from the attacks has been devastating. At least 53,475 Palestinians have been killed and more than 121,000 injured since October 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry says. More than 1,400 frontline health workers, including doctors, nurses, and volunteers trying to save lives amid increasingly perilous conditions, are counted among the dead.

The May 13 strike on the European Hospital left bodies scattered throughout the premises and overwhelmed medical teams. The destruction of hospitals has not only caused direct casualties but also led to indirect deaths, as many patients can no longer access life-saving care due to lack of fuel, medical supplies, and functioning facilities.

Israel’s justifications and international response

Israel has justified its actions by alleging that Hamas uses hospitals for military activities, such as weapon storage and command centers, which strip such facilities of their protected status under the laws of war.

Israeli officials said the May 13 attack on the European Hospital was aimed at destroying Hamas leaders, suspected of hiding in underground bunkers. But these claims have come under fire from critics.

Investigations by international journalists, human rights groups, and observers have found no evidence to support Israel’s claims, suggesting that the attacks are disproportionate and unlawful.

The siege and blockade

The ongoing Israeli blockade has severely restricted the entry of essential medical supplies, fuel, food, and humanitarian aid into Gaza, deepening the healthcare crisis. 

Since March 2, 2025, no humanitarian or commercial supplies have been allowed into Gaza, causing critical shortages. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that over 40% of essential medical supplies are out of stock, with more expected to run out soon.

The blockade has also prevented medical evacuations and blocked humanitarian access to besieged hospitals. 

The closure of the Indonesian Hospital exemplifies this crisis, with Israeli forces preventing the movement of patients and staff. Other hospitals have suffered bombings, arson, and encirclement, leaving thousands of sick and injured without care and raising fears of a mounting death toll from preventable causes.

Broader legal implications

The repeated destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure and the killing of civilians in hospitals constitute a grave humanitarian crisis. 

The International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations have condemned these attacks and called for immediate cessation and accountability for violations. 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that since October 2023, at least 842 incidents have impacted UNRWA premises, with over 767 persons sheltering in these installations killed and 2,419 injured. 

The collapse of the health system threatens not only immediate survival but also the long-term well-being of Gaza’s population.

Personal stories and psychological trauma

Behind Gaza’s staggering casualty figures lie heartbreaking personal stories of loss and trauma. Medical workers, such as a volunteer nurse at Al Awda Hospital, have been killed while caring for patients. Children, the elderly, and other civilians have been trapped in bombed hospitals without electricity, clean water, or essential medicines. 

The director of the Indonesian Hospital described it as a “death trap,” surrounded by Israeli forces and cut off from help. At Al Shifa Hospital, airstrikes killed entire families seeking shelter, eroding the notion of hospitals as safe havens. 

These individual tragedies underscore the immense psychological toll of the conflict and the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system. Israeli attacks have transformed hospitals into battlegrounds, making them targets instead of sanctuaries.

The international community faces an urgent imperative to protect civilians, ensure access to medical care, and hold perpetrators accountable. 

Without immediate action, Gaza’s healthcare system risks total collapse, condemning millions to suffering and death in a conflict where hospitals, meant to be sanctuaries, have tragically become battlegrounds.