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Israeli airstrikes have targeted at least ten hospitals and clinics across the Gaza Strip over the past week, significantly disrupting medical services and placing immense strain on the few remaining functional facilities, Haaretz reported on Saturday.
The strike on the European Hospital in Khan Younis marked the launch of Israel’s intensified ground invasion, dubbed the “Gideon Chariots” operation, which was authorised by the Israeli Security Cabinet on May 4 and commenced on May 18, according to the Israeli newspaper.
The report, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry, noted that around 400,000 people are now without access to any form of medical care due to the attacks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed 28 separate assaults on hospitals in Gaza during the same week—representing 4% of all such attacks since the war began.
“These military actions are accelerating the collapse of Gaza’s already fragile healthcare system,” the WHO warned via social media platform X, stating that 94% of hospitals in the enclave have been either severely damaged or completely destroyed.
Of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, only 19 are still functioning in some capacity. The WHO reiterated its position that hospitals should never be used for military purposes or targeted in conflict.
Four major hospitals were forced to close entirely last week due to ongoing strikes, evacuation orders, and intensified hostilities. Israel maintains that fighters from Hamas are operating from within hospitals, a claim frequently cited as a reason for these attacks.
Since launching its invasion on October 7, 2023, Israel has repeatedly bombarded medical facilities, undermining the healthcare infrastructure and endangering thousands of patients, according to the United Nations and Palestinian officials.
Additionally, since March 2, Israel has enforced a blockade on aid deliveries, which observers say constitutes a deliberate strategy of starvation that has resulted in widespread famine and the deaths of numerous civilians.
