Israeli Bombings: Hospitals Destroyed, Lives Shattered

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in numerous attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers. Israel's intensified military operations have threatened an already weakened health system, with reports of hospitals being shelled, raided, and bombed by Israeli forces. These attacks have resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of patients and healthcare workers, as well as severe damage to hospital infrastructure. The conflict has also led to mass population displacement and acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and shelter. While the exact number of hospitals bombed by Israel is unclear, various sources and investigations have confirmed multiple instances of Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza.

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Israeli military operations have threatened Gaza's healthcare system

The Israeli military's attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers in Gaza have been well-documented. In October 2023, an explosion at the Ahli Arab hospital killed hundreds of people. While Hamas claimed that it was caused by an Israeli airstrike, Israel said it was a misfired Palestinian rocket. In the same month, an Israeli rocket damaged the upper two floors of the Gaza European Hospital's cancer treatment center. In November 2023, the Israeli military raided the Al Shifa Medical Complex for the first time, and again in March 2024, leaving it in complete ruin by April 1st. Three mass graves were found at the hospital, with at least 80 bodies retrieved. During the period covered by one report, there were at least 136 strikes on at least 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities in Gaza, causing significant casualties and damage. Another report found that, between October 7th and November 22nd, 2023, more than half of healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip were damaged by Israeli attacks.

Israeli military operations have also threatened the healthcare system in Gaza by preventing access to healthcare. In February 2024, Israeli soldiers killed 12 people and wounded six at al-Amal hospital. In May 2025, the Indonesian Hospital was out of service due to a continued military presence, making it inaccessible. WHO missions to the hospital were impeded due to the security situation. In the same month, hostilities damaged a water tank and pipeline, and patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, destroying all medical supplies in the warehouse.

The impact of these attacks extends beyond physical structures. The limited healthcare system has prevented many injured people from receiving timely and potentially life-saving treatment. Many women have given birth with minimal or no pre- and post-natal care, increasing the risk of preventable maternal and child mortality. Newborns have died because their mothers could not reach medical facilities or attend postnatal check-ups.

Israeli forces have attacked paramedics and medical staff

Israeli forces have been accused of attacking paramedics and medical staff on multiple occasions. In one instance, on 23 March 2025, 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including a United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces. The paramedics and civil defence workers were on a mission to rescue their colleagues who had been shot at earlier in the day. Their clearly marked vehicles came under heavy Israeli fire in Rafah city's Tel al-Sultan district. A Red Crescent official reported evidence of at least one person being detained and killed, as the body was found with hands tied.

In another instance, on 1 February 2024, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Israeli soldiers had killed 12 people at a hospital and wounded six, after they opened fire while storming the hospital. The Red Crescent reported that this was the eleventh day of the siege of al-Amal, with "repeated raids into the courtyards of the hospital" and "direct fire on the buildings". Two paramedics were also reportedly "targeted and directly fired upon by Israeli forces" outside a hospital.

The Israeli military has also been accused of attacking health facilities and medical vehicles, causing damage and destruction and putting lives at risk. Amnesty International has documented four Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities and vehicles in Beirut and south Lebanon between 3 and 9 October 2024, which killed 19 healthcare workers and wounded 11 more. The Israeli military has been accused of failing to provide sufficient justification or evidence of military targets being present.

The attacks on paramedics, medical staff, and health facilities by Israeli forces have had devastating consequences and have been described as potential war crimes by Amnesty International. The attacks have weakened the healthcare system in the region, causing a lack of access to adequate healthcare for the population. The exact number of hospitals bombed by Israel is unclear, but various sources report attacks and bombings of multiple hospitals in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israeli bombings have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of patients

The conflict has had a devastating impact on the healthcare system in Gaza, with hospitals forced to suspend medical services due to their proximity to hostilities and evacuation zones. For instance, the Indonesian Hospital has been out of service since mid-May due to the continued military presence in the area. The Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Amal, and Al-Aqsa hospitals in southern Gaza have also been overwhelmed by a surge of injured people, further exacerbated by displacement to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

Israeli military operations have resulted in the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, and have prevented many injured people from receiving timely and potentially life-saving treatment. The Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza was attacked by the Israeli military, leaving the local population with little access to healthcare. During the reported period, there were at least 136 strikes on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities, causing significant casualties and damage. The specific targeting of hospitals and the bombing of areas designated as safe by the Israeli army have raised concerns about potential violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.

The impact of the attacks extends beyond physical structures, with women and newborns suffering severely due to a lack of adequate pre- and post-natal care. The UN Human Rights Office received reports of newborn deaths due to mothers' inability to access medical facilities or attend postnatal check-ups. The intensified military operations have also led to acute shortages of food, water, medical supplies, fuel, and shelter, further compounding the challenges faced by the healthcare system.

Hospitals in Gaza have been forced to suspend medical services

The conflict has resulted in worsening mass population displacement, acute shortages of food and water, and a lack of medical supplies, fuel, and shelter. The limited healthcare system has prevented many injured individuals from receiving timely treatment, leading to preventable deaths. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 77,704 Palestinians were injured by the end of April 2024, and over 500 medical professionals were killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Israeli military operations have specifically targeted hospitals and healthcare workers, with Israeli forces striking healthcare facilities and personnel in Gaza at least 1,844 times since October 2023. These attacks have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of patients and healthcare workers, with Israeli forces killing 609 healthcare workers in Gaza between October 2023 and January 2025. Hospitals that have been attacked include al-Ahli Arab Hospital, al-Amal Hospital, al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al Shifa Medical Complex, and Ahli Baptist Hospital.

A study by Harvard University researchers found that more than half of healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip were damaged by Israeli attacks between October 7 and November 22, 2023. The study concluded that the damage was not random but intentionally targeted civilian infrastructure, raising concerns about violations of international humanitarian law and potential war crimes.

The attacks on hospitals in Gaza have had devastating consequences, with limited access to healthcare, increased risk of maternal and child mortality, and a struggling healthcare system that is unable to meet the needs of the population.

Israeli attacks on hospitals are considered war crimes

Hospitals are subject to special protections under international humanitarian law, and attacks on them are considered war crimes. Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have struck healthcare facilities and personnel in Gaza at least 1,844 times, killing hundreds of patients and healthcare workers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded 697 attacks on healthcare in Gaza since October 2023, with only 19 of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals remaining operational. Four major hospitals in Gaza (Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and European Gaza Hospital) have had to suspend medical services due to their proximity to hostilities or evacuation zones.

The Israeli military's first major operation against a hospital involved Al Shifa Medical Complex in November 2023, with a second raid in March 2024 that left the facility in complete ruin by 1 April. Three mass graves were reportedly found at the hospital, with at least 80 bodies retrieved, raising serious concerns about potential war crimes.

On 13 March 2025, a United Nations investigation concluded that Israel had committed genocidal acts in Gaza by systematically destroying reproductive healthcare facilities and imposing a siege that prevented necessary medications. This caused irreversible harm to the reproductive prospects of Palestinians in Gaza, with the investigation calling it "a measure intended to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza, which is a genocidal act."

Israeli attacks on hospitals in Gaza have resulted in significant casualties among doctors, nurses, medics, and other civilians, as well as causing severe damage or complete destruction of civilian infrastructure. These attacks reflect a pattern of intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water facilities, as revealed by satellite data studies conducted by researchers at Harvard University and other institutions.

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