Hailey Tran
Israel has been accused of targeting hospitals in Gaza during its military operations in the region. Since 7 October 2023, Israeli airstrikes and ground invasions have damaged or destroyed several hospitals and medical complexes in Gaza, resulting in widespread condemnation and allegations of war crimes. While Israel has denied culpability in some cases and accused Hamas of using hospitals for military operations, the repeated attacks on medical facilities have raised concerns about potential violations of international law, which prohibits the targeting of hospitals during conflicts unless they are being used to cause harm. The destruction of Gaza's healthcare infrastructure has had devastating consequences for the region, with hospitals besieged, medical staff detained and injured, and patients evacuated or left without access to essential services.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of incidents | 7 October 2023 - 19 June 2025 |
| Hospitals attacked | al-Shifa Hospital, Nasser Hospital, Indonesian Hospital, al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Hayfa Charity Hospital, al-Nasr Children's Hospital, Soroka hospital, Khalil Suleiman hospital |
| Number of hospitals attacked | 32 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza |
| Number of deaths | 100+ (al-Ahli Arab Hospital), 500+ (Gaza City hospital), 12 (al-Amal hospital), 4 (al-Nasr Children's Hospital), 3 (West Bank hospital), 2 (Hanine emergency centre) |
| Injuries | 100+ (al-Ahli Arab Hospital), 6 (al-Amal hospital), 11 (al-Amal hospital), 4 (al-Amal hospital), 2 (unnamed hospital) |
| Damage | Loss of electricity and running water, damage to maternity ward, damage to desalination station, damage to IVF centre, damage to ambulance, damage to medical equipment, damage to buildings, craters near hospitals |
| Groups involved | Israel, Iran, Palestine, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the US, the UN, the WHO, the Red Crescent, Doctors Without Borders |
| Weapons used | Missiles, fighter jets, tear gas, guns, smoke bombs |
| Responses | Evacuation, supply coordination, condemnation, investigation, denial, silence |
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What You'll Learn
- Israel's Defence Minister accused Iran of committing war crimes after an Iranian missile strike on an Israeli hospital
- The World Health Organisation recorded around 700 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza
- Israeli forces fired shots and tear gas, damaging a hospital's maternity ward
- The IDF denied culpability for an explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed at least 100 people
- The Red Crescent reported Israeli soldiers killed 12 people at a hospital and wounded six
Israel's Defence Minister accused Iran of committing war crimes after an Iranian missile strike on an Israeli hospital
In June 2025, an Iranian missile strike hit Soroka hospital in southern Israel. In response, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, accused Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of committing war crimes. He said that Khamenei "openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals ... such a man can no longer be allowed to exist".
The Iranian missile attack wounded at least 240 people, four of them seriously, according to Israel's health ministry. The UK’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, also condemned the strike, saying: "Hospitals must never be targeted. This is a dangerous moment for the entire region. The UK and our allies are clear that diplomacy is the only solution."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that more than 70 Iranian women and children were killed in the first three Israeli attacks on Iran. Iran's missile strike on the Israeli hospital came after a wave of Israeli strikes on Iran, some of which targeted a nuclear enrichment site. The Israeli attacks killed several of Iran's military leaders, leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), at least 10 leading nuclear scientists, and more than 200 Iranian civilians.
The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated in 2024, with both countries attacking each other openly and directly for the first time following decades of proxy conflict. Israel has routinely attacked hospitals in Gaza, claiming they are used as bases by Hamas. International law governing war states that hospitals must not be attacked during conflicts. However, they can become viable targets if they are being used to commit harm, and if the attacking force takes measures to protect civilians.
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The World Health Organisation recorded around 700 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded around 700 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. The attacks have drawn international condemnation and been described as "pushing the people of Gaza to breaking point".
The WHO reported that, by November 2023, there had been 48 attacks on healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip, resulting in damage to approximately 24 hospitals and healthcare facilities, including six hospitals. By February 2024, it was reported that "every hospital in Gaza is either damaged, destroyed, or out of service due to a lack of fuel". The WHO has stressed the urgent need to end the violence and create a humanitarian corridor in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks on healthcare facilities have had devastating consequences for the population. Hospitals in Gaza are facing severe shortages of medical supplies amid Israel's blockade. Israel has cut off water, electricity, and fuel supplies, leaving 2.3 million people stranded. This has impacted the ability of hospitals to run generators to deliver life-saving healthcare, and it has made it impossible for ambulances to run and water desalination plants to function.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in the killing of at least 40,000 people, including 39,400 in Gaza and around 600 in the West Bank. More than 91,000 people have been injured in Gaza and 5,300 in the West Bank. 27,300 women and children have been killed in both Gaza and the West Bank, and at least 6,100 children have been injured in Gaza and 660 in the West Bank.
The death toll may be much higher than reported, and the number of attacks on healthcare facilities is likely higher than the WHO figure. Independent monitors, like Insecurity Insight, estimate the toll to be higher, with the group reporting 1,328 attacks on healthcare in the Occupied Palestinian Territories during the same period.
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Israeli forces fired shots and tear gas, damaging a hospital's maternity ward
International law governing war stipulates that hospitals should not be attacked during conflicts. However, Israeli forces have been accused of targeting hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza.
On 29 January 2024, Israeli forces fired shots and tear gas, damaging a hospital's maternity ward. A 17-year-old was also shot and killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) inside the Khalil Suleiman hospital compound near the Jenin refugee camp. The IDF has been accused of disguising themselves as medical staff and civilian Muslim women to carry out these attacks.
During the Israel-Gaza war, the IDF conducted strikes and targeted medical centres and hospitals. The Lebanese health ministry condemned the attacks, stating that Israeli authorities were fully responsible for the unjustifiable acts, which could have led to catastrophic consequences. The WHO and Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Israeli forces had killed and wounded several people at hospitals and medical centres. They also disrupted essential services such as electricity and water supply, endangering the lives of patients requiring urgent medical care.
The IDF has repeatedly denied these accusations, claiming that hospitals were used by Hamas for military operations and to hold hostages. However, critics argue that the evidence does not support these claims. The widespread destruction of medical complexes in Gaza has drawn international condemnation, with calls for investigations into potential war crimes.
The targeting of hospitals and medical facilities has had severe consequences for the delivery of healthcare in Gaza. According to the WHO, between 7 October 2023 and 19 September 2024, there were 492 attacks on healthcare in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 492 individuals. Only a fraction of the hospitals in Gaza are fully or partially functioning, and many medical personnel have been killed or injured. The destruction of medical infrastructure has made it challenging for those requiring medical care to access essential services.
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The IDF denied culpability for an explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that killed at least 100 people
On 17 October 2023, an explosion took place in the courtyard of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 people and injuries to hundreds more. The hospital was the last fully functional hospital in Gaza City, and the explosion caused global condemnation.
Hamas blamed Israel for the attack, but Israel, backed by the United States, denied responsibility. Israel claimed that the explosion was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an armed group operating in Gaza. They asserted that the group's rockets had landed inside Gaza in the days leading up to the explosion. Israel also stated that the hospital was targeted because it contained a "command and control centre used by Hamas."
However, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad denied responsibility for the explosion, refuting Israel's claims. They accused Israel of causing the blast, highlighting that Israel had previously hit the hospital and ordered its evacuation.
The cause of the explosion remains contested. While some media outlets and experts attributed it to a misfired rocket, others, including the Gaza Health Ministry, insisted it was an Israeli airstrike. The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East stated that the hospital had received multiple phone warnings to evacuate before the explosion, which were reportedly given by the Israeli military.
The incident at al-Ahli Arab Hospital is not an isolated case. There have been numerous documented incidents of Israeli raids and attacks on hospitals in Gaza, such as Nasser Hospital, al-Shifa Hospital, and Hayfa Charity Hospital. These actions have drawn international criticism and highlight the devastation caused by the conflict in Gaza.
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The Red Crescent reported Israeli soldiers killed 12 people at a hospital and wounded six
International law governing war states that hospitals must not be attacked during conflicts. However, hospitals in Gaza have been drawn into the war between Israel and Hamas, with 32 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza having been damaged by munitions, raided by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), or gone out of service.
On February 1, 2024, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Israeli soldiers killed 12 people at a hospital and wounded six. The Red Crescent reported that this occurred during the eleventh day of the siege of al-Amal, with "repeated raids into the courtyards of the hospital" and "direct fire on the buildings". The following day, the Red Crescent reported that another four people were killed and six were injured by Israeli forces.
The Red Crescent's reports are part of a broader pattern of Israeli attacks on health facilities during the Gaza war. For example, on January 11, 2024, the IDF conducted strikes in the town of Hanine and targeted an emergency center affiliated with the Islamic Health Committee, killing two rescue workers and destroying an ambulance. On January 29, 2024, Israeli forces fired shots and tear gas, damaging the maternity ward of the Khalil Suleiman hospital compound near the Jenin refugee camp and killing a 17-year-old. Israeli forces have also been accused of disguising themselves as medical staff and civilian Muslim women to shoot and kill Palestinians inside hospitals.
In response to these incidents, the Lebanese health ministry condemned the attacks, stating that "Israeli authorities were fully responsible for this unjustifiable act, which could have led to catastrophic results". The United Nations (UN) has described some of the killings as "extrajudicial executions".
The IDF has denied allegations of wrongdoing and claimed that hospitals were being used by Hamas for military operations and to hold Israeli hostages, which could constitute war crimes if true. However, the IDF's claims have been disputed, and there have been calls for investigations into potential war crimes committed by Israel.
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Frequently asked questions
Israel has not explicitly stated that they would bomb hospitals. However, they have justified their attacks on hospitals in Gaza, claiming that they were targeting Hamas bases and that hospitals were being used as shields.
Yes, Israel has been accused of bombing hospitals in Gaza. Of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, only four have not been damaged by munitions or raided by Israeli forces.
International law governing war states that hospitals must not be attacked during conflicts. They only become viable targets if they are being used to inflict harm, and even then, the attacking force must take measures to protect civilians.
Yes, Israel has condemned the bombing of its hospitals. For example, when Iranian missiles struck Soroka hospital in Israel in 2025, Israeli officials expressed outrage and accused Iran of committing war crimes.
