GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday the health care system in northern Gaza had been “obliterated” by ongoing Israeli bombardments, with hospitals rendered “completely inoperable”.
“Repeated hostilities in and around hospitals have obliterated the health care system in northern Gaza, putting civilians at an unacceptably grave risk of going without lifesaving care,” the ICRC said in a statement.
It called for the respect and protection of medical facilities in line with international humanitarian law.
“This protection is a legal obligation and a moral imperative to preserve human life,” it added, saying hospitals were a lifeline for those sick or wounded in conflict.
The IRC and the World Health Organization had previously warned about the deteriorating health and humanitarian conditions in northern Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli aggression, which has halted rescue and ambulance services and obstructed the entry of food, water and medical supplies.
The Al-Awda Hospital, previously supported by the ICRC with supplies, was now absorbing more pressure as one of the few functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza, the Geneva-based organisation said.
“The Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals are now completely inoperable. For months, these medical facilities have struggled to provide care for patients as ongoing hostilities have damaged hospitals and endangered or harmed staff, patients, and civilians.”
Israel launched a major raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital on Friday and Saturday.
Israel’s military said Sunday that its forces had killed approximately 20 Palestinian fighters, calling it one of its “largest operations” conducted in the territory.
The Israeli military raids left northern Gaza’s last major health facility out of service and emptied of patients, the World Health Organization said.
—Photo by Omar Al-Qattaa / AFP – Getty Images
Since October 6 this year, Israeli operations in Gaza have focused on the north.
“No patient can expect their medical needs to be fully met today,” the ICRC said of the situation.
“The influx of patients, caregivers, and displaced civilians seeking shelter creates a situation that medical personnel cannot solve.
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“The increasingly dangerous situation comes in addition to more than a year of insufficient provision of medical equipment and supplies, fuel, food, and specialised healthcare capacities.”
On Friday, Israeli forces burned large sections of Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in the northern town of Beit Lahia, and forced patients and displaced civilians to flee.
The raid, the latest in a series of attacks on health care facilities put Kamal Adwan, the last remaining major hospital in the area, out of service, according to the WHO.
Israel has killed more than 45,500 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reduced the enclave to rubble.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
