Jordan Ellis
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen numerous attacks on hospitals in Gaza, with the IDF accused of targeting medical facilities, patients, and staff. The IDF has justified these attacks by claiming that Hamas was using hospitals for military purposes, such as storing weapons and shielding fighters. However, these allegations have been widely disputed, and the IDF has been criticized for its conduct and disregard for the protection of medical missions. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have raised serious concerns about Israel's compliance with international law and the systematic destruction of Gaza's healthcare infrastructure. The exact number of hospitals bombed by the IDF is unclear, but it is evident that their actions have led to significant casualties and the disruption of essential medical services in Gaza.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of hospitals attacked by the IDF | 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities |
| Number of hospitals that have suspended medical services | 4 |
| Number of hospitals remaining operational | 19 |
| Number of hospitals damaged or destroyed | 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip |
| Number of strikes on hospitals | 697 since October 2023 |
| Number of people killed in an airstrike in front of a hospital | 12 |
| Number of people injured in an airstrike in front of a hospital | 35 |
| Number of embryos destroyed in a bombing | 4000 |
| Number of sperm and egg samples destroyed in a bombing | 1000 |
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What You'll Learn
Israel's claims about Hamas' use of hospitals
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza as military bases to direct and plan attacks against IDF troops, store and develop weapons, and launch attacks. They have also claimed that Hamas uses hospitals to abduct, torture, and kill Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel, as well as to hold Israeli hostages.
These claims have been used to justify Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza, which have resulted in the destruction of critical supplies and medical equipment, and the deaths of patients and medical staff. Israel has asserted that it makes ""extraordinary efforts"" to avoid civilian casualties and ensure the functioning of hospitals during assaults. However, these claims have been widely disputed and condemned by humanitarian groups, journalists, and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Human Rights Watch.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described the situation in Gaza as a "human rights catastrophe" and called for independent investigations into the alleged misuse of hospitals by Hamas and Israeli attacks on medical facilities. He has been supported by Egypt's delegate, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, who underscored that there is no evidence supporting Israel's claims. Andrew Cayley of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has stated that Israeli claims about Hamas's use of hospitals are "grossly exaggerated".
Despite Israel's assertions, there has been limited evidence to support their accusations. Avril Benoit, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, has accused Israel of attempting to "pick apart and cut down independent humanitarian action". Human Rights Watch has stated that the Israeli government has put forward no evidence that would justify stripping hospitals of their protected status under international humanitarian law. Mouin Rabbani, a Middle East analyst, questioned the validity of Israel's claims, noting that no weapons were found during their search of Al-Shifa Hospital.
The impact of Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza has been devastating, with the UN alleging that Israel has committed genocidal acts by systematically destroying reproductive healthcare facilities and breaking medical neutrality, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The head of the WHO called the raid on Al-Shifa Hospital "totally unacceptable". Amnesty International has also stated that they have "not seen any credible evidence" to support Israel's claims.
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IDF's prevention of medical care
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen numerous attacks on health facilities, with the IDF accused of preventing medical care and bombing hospitals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded 28 attacks on healthcare in Gaza in a single week and 697 attacks since October 2023. The ongoing conflict has left only 19 of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals operational, with the remaining hospitals struggling with severe supply shortages, staff shortages, insecurity, and a surge of casualties.
The IDF has been accused of deliberately targeting hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza. In one instance, the Kamal Adwan Hospital was attacked, leaving the population of North Gaza with little to no access to healthcare. The director of the hospital was taken into custody and has since been missing. In another incident, Israeli bulldozers crushed people sheltering outside a hospital, with journalists describing "a terrifying massacre and unspeakable scenes".
The IDF has also been accused of preventing medical care by blocking access to hospitals and denying humanitarian aid. In one case, the IDF denied a team from the WHO access to a hospital to assess patients and arrange evacuations for two days. The IDF has also been accused of withholding aid, medicines, and food, further hindering the ability of medical facilities to provide care.
Additionally, the IDF has justified its actions by claiming that hospitals were being improperly used for military purposes by Hamas. However, these claims have been deemed "grossly exaggerated" by the International Criminal Court and remain unverified. Human Rights Watch has stated that the Israeli government has provided no evidence to justify stripping hospitals of their special protections under international humanitarian law. The IDF's actions have been widely condemned by humanitarian organizations, with Doctors Without Borders stating that Israel has shown a "complete disregard for the protection and safety of medical and humanitarian missions and their staff".
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Destruction of reproductive healthcare facilities
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen several attacks on reproductive healthcare facilities. In March 2025, a United Nations investigation concluded that Israel had committed genocidal acts by systematically destroying reproductive healthcare facilities in Gaza. Navi Pillay, the Commission's chair, stated that the evidence revealed a deplorable increase in sexual and gender-based violence.
The Commission's report documented various violations perpetrated against Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory since October 2023. It found that Israeli authorities had partially destroyed the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities. This included direct attacks on maternity wards and Gaza's main in-vitro fertility clinic, Al Basma IVF Centre, which was shelled by Israeli tanks in December 2023, resulting in the destruction of 4,000 human embryos, 1,000 samples of frozen sperm and eggs, and reproductive equipment.
The Commission's report also asserted that Israeli forces had imposed a siege and prevented humanitarian assistance, including the provision of necessary medication and equipment to ensure safe pregnancies, deliveries, and post-partum and neonatal care. These acts violated women's and girls' reproductive rights and autonomy, as well as their right to life, health, founding a family, human dignity, physical and mental integrity, freedom from torture, and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. The report concluded that these violations caused severe immediate physical and mental harm to women and girls and irreversible long-term effects on their mental health and reproductive and fertility prospects.
Additionally, the Commission's report found that sexual and gender-based violence, including forced public stripping and nudity, sexual harassment, threats of rape, and sexual assault, had become standard operating procedures of the Israeli Security Forces toward Palestinians. These acts of violence were encouraged by the Israeli state and documented during the evacuations of Gaza and in detention facilities. The report also noted that Israeli soldiers openly shared the atrocities they committed on social media.
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IDF's denial of WHO access
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been accused of conducting assaults on hospitals in Gaza. In February, Israeli ground troops forced thousands of displaced people sheltering in Nasser Hospital to leave while the IDF assaulted the facility. The IDF claimed that Hamas used the hospital for military operations and to hold Israeli hostages, which, if true, would be a war crime.
The IDF has denied these accusations, stating that they facilitated the supply of medications to the hospital and coordinated the supply of oxygen tanks, food, water, a fuel tank, a generator, medical equipment, and baby formula. They also claimed that the operation was a success and that they found weapons and detained 200 "terror suspects". However, the IDF has been accused of misrepresenting the circumstances on the ground and making unsubstantiated allegations.
Following the incursion, the IDF denied a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) access to the hospital to assess patients and arrange evacuations for the most serious cases. This denial of access has been criticised as a breach of international humanitarian law, which states that hospitals are given special protection during times of war. Despite these criticisms, the IDF has continued to deny wrongdoing and has even denied firing at civilians near a humanitarian aid distribution site, contrary to eyewitness accounts.
The IDF's conduct has been widely condemned by humanitarian groups such as Doctors Without Borders, who have stated that Israel has shown a "complete disregard for the protection and safety of medical and humanitarian missions and their staff". The IDF has also been accused of denying mental health support to their soldiers, with commanders neglecting to address mental health concerns and even denying soldiers access to mental health professionals.
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IDF's targeting of ambulances
The Israel-Palestine conflict has seen numerous attacks on hospitals and ambulances. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have been accused of targeting ambulances and health facilities with airstrikes.
On November 3, an IDF airstrike hit an ambulance convoy in Gaza near the Al-Shifa hospital, killing 15 people and injuring over 60 others. The IDF later issued a tweet stating that ambulances have been attacked in other conflicts, including in Myanmar, Ukraine, Cameroon, and Syria. This was not the first incident of its kind in Gaza, with Amnesty International noting similar attacks in 2009 and 2014. The IDF stated that the ambulance was being used by a Hamas terrorist cell, and that Hamas uses ambulances to transfer operatives and weapons. However, no evidence has been provided to support these claims.
On March 23, 2025, the IDF attacked several humanitarian vehicles, including five ambulances, a fire truck, and a United Nations vehicle, in the Al-Hashashin area in southern Rafah, Gaza Strip. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 15 aid workers, including eight members of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, five civil defence workers, and one UN agency employee. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) condemned the attacks, stating that they were the "single most deadly" for its workers in almost a decade. The IDF admitted to mistakenly firing on ambulances, claiming that they were targeting Hamas vehicles and eliminating terrorists.
The targeting of ambulances and hospitals by the IDF has been widely condemned. Human Rights Watch stated that the Israeli government has provided no evidence to justify stripping hospitals of their special protections under international humanitarian law. Avril Benoit, executive director of Doctors Without Borders, noted that there is a systematic attempt to discredit independent humanitarian action. The United Nations has also stated that Israel has committed genocidal acts in Gaza by systematically destroying its reproductive healthcare facilities, breaking medical neutrality, which is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
The IDF has denied and misrepresented the circumstances of their attacks on hospitals and ambulances, with the support of the United States. Despite this, there has been widespread global revulsion at Israel's conduct, and calls for those responsible for the killings to be held accountable.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear exactly how many hospitals have been bombed by the IDF, but the number is high. The IDF has been accused of systematically destroying the healthcare infrastructure in Gaza. In May 2025, the WHO reported that 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remained operational, with 94% of hospitals in the Gaza Strip damaged or destroyed.
There are numerous reports of attacks on hospitals in Gaza by the IDF. In October 2024, Kamal Adwan Hospital was shelled by Israeli tanks, and journalists reported that Israeli bulldozers crushed people sheltering outside the hospital. In December 2023, an Israeli strike on Gaza City's Al Basma IVF centre destroyed 4,000 human embryos. In January 2025, an Israeli airstrike using an MK 83 munition in front of Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah killed at least 12 people.
The IDF claims that it is targeting Hamas bases and that hospitals are being improperly used for military purposes by Palestinian armed groups. However, these claims have been called "grossly exaggerated" and insufficient evidence has been provided to support them.
The attacks have left thousands of people without access to adequate healthcare and have resulted in significant casualties among doctors, nurses, medics and other civilians. The destruction of hospitals and medical supplies has also contributed to worsening malnutrition and preventable maternal and child mortality.
