Gaza health system at breaking point: WHO

Muscat Daily

24-05-2025

Gaza City, Palestine – Gaza's healthcare system is on the verge of collapse amid intensified Israeli military operations, widespread displacement and critical shortages of basic supplies, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.
Only 19 of the territory's 36 hospitals are still partially functioning, WHO said, and many are struggling to provide even emergency services.
'At least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed,' the UN health agency said in a statement.
Four major facilities – Kamal Adwan, Indonesian Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital – have suspended services in recent days due to attacks or their location within evacuation zones.
WHO recorded 28 attacks on health facilities in Gaza in the past week alone, bringing the total to 697 since fighting began in October 2023.
'The increased hostilities and new evacuation orders in northern and southern Gaza threaten to push even more health facilities out of service,' the agency warned.
Facilities at risk include one hospital, 11 primary care centres and 13 medical points inside newly declared evacuation zones. Five other hospitals, a field hospital and dozens of other facilities lie within 1km of these areas.
In North Gaza, health services have been largely wiped out. Al Awda Hospital remains only minimally operational, serving as a trauma stabilisation point. It has come under repeated attacks, with WHO reporting that its third and fourth floors were hit again on Friday, injuring health workers and destroying medical supplies.
'Patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, which also burned all medical supplies in the warehouse and destroyed vehicles in the basement,' the agency said.
The Indonesian Hospital is out of service due to an ongoing military presence since May 18. Kamal Adwan Hospital – the only facility treating children with severe acute malnutrition in the north – ceased operations on May 20 after intense shelling in the area.
In southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex, Al Amal and Al Aqsa hospitals are overwhelmed following a surge of wounded and mass displacement to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.
The European Gaza Hospital has remained shut since a strike on May 13, cutting off critical services such as neurosurgery, cardiac care and cancer treatment.
Across Gaza, only 2,000 hospital beds remain for more than 2mn people. At least 40 beds are located in hospitals now inside evacuation zones and could be lost immediately. A further 850 are at risk if conditions worsen at nearby facilities, WHO said.