Gaza’s Health System Further Crashes Due to Israeli strike on Hospital

A deadly Israeli airstrike on the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in Khan Younis on Tuesday has further crippled the already devastated healthcare system in Gaza, exacerbating a growing humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health and various humanitarian agencies, several medical staff members were injured in the strike, including two nurses.

The attack marked yet another blow to emergency medical services, which have been struggling to cope with the continuous influx of casualties from ongoing hostilities.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric addressed the incident during a regular press briefing in New York, expressing deep concern over the deteriorating situation.

“The latest strikes on hospitals further cripples Gaza’s health care system,” he said.

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“There are currently very few beds available in hospitals and patients are being accommodated in tents.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 21 out of 36 Gaza hospitals remain partially operational. Most of those facilities have sustained structural damage due to the fighting. Health partners have warned of an acute shortage of essential medical supplies, particularly blood units needed for emergency surgeries and trauma care.

The challenges are compounded by dwindling food supplies, as aid trucks have been unable to enter Gaza for several weeks. UN agencies report that food warehouses are running dangerously low, raising alarms about potential malnutrition and starvation in the coming days.

Despite the grim outlook, a momentary breakthrough was achieved when humanitarian workers managed to install a backup generator at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. The generator has enabled the operation of a water purification system capable of producing 20 cubic meters of clean water per hour, a rare sign of progress amid widespread destruction.

Dujarric reiterated the United Nations’ urgent call for the protection of civilians and for humanitarian access to be granted without delay.

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“All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, and a ceasefire must be restored and renewed without delay,” he stated.

meanwhile, Tuesday’s strike comes on the heels of another assault on Sunday that targeted the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, a key medical facility in the northern region. That hospital had been central to treating victims of earlier airstrikes, and its damage has severely limited the capacity to respond to medical emergencies.

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