Analysis

Israeli military operations have resulted in the encirclement of two of northern Gaza's last operational medical facilities, the Indonesian hospital and al-Awda hospital, severely restricting access and egress according to hospital staff and aid organizations. The Indonesian hospital, previously the largest in northern Gaza and now positioned approximately 500 meters from Israeli troops, reportedly sustained damage to its generators and water supply from airstrikes, with Israeli bulldozers also demolishing a perimeter wall; at least one staff member was killed there. Al-Awda hospital is similarly isolated, with drone fire reported in its courtyard and targeting ambulances, leaving it without ambulance services or internet connectivity, and with approximately 47 patients, including children and pregnant women, and 140 medical staff remaining, who have decided not to evacuate. These events occur within a context of broader Israeli evacuation orders for northern Gaza and a pattern of nearly 700 documented attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since the start of Israel’s 19-month war against the Hamas militant group, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has warned that hospitals in northern Gaza are at “a serious risk of shutting down completely” and the overall health system is being stretched “beyond the breaking point.” While the Israeli military states its forces were operating around the Indonesian hospital targeting Hamas infrastructure and had not entered the facility, Palestinians, including an al-Awda hospital board member, assert these actions are part of a plan for forced displacement. The situation underscores a critical humanitarian crisis, with the UN working to transfer remaining patients and significant concerns for dwindling essential supplies like food and water for those still in the besieged hospitals.