Rafah’s hospitals besieged by Israel’s relentless attacks, more lives endangered

Indonesian Field Hospital
Medics care for patients at a clinic set up by Doctors Without Borders at Rafah's Indonesian Field Hospital, treating severe injuries and burns sustained in Israeli bombardments [File: Mohammed Abed/AFP]

As bombs rain down on Rafah’s Tal as-Sultan area, Israel’s intensified assault hits where it hurts the most: the city’s hospitals, according to Al Jazeera.

In a harrowing escalation, the Indonesian Field Hospital takes a direct hit, trapping medical staff, patients, and desperate families seeking refuge.

But it doesn’t stop there. The Kuwait Speciality Hospital, a lifeline for hundreds, is forced to shutter its doors after Israeli fire claims the lives of two brave medical workers. With each strike, the already fragile healthcare system teeters closer to collapse.

Dr. Mohammed Tahir, on the frontlines at European Gaza Hospital, paints a grim picture of situation. He said the people of Rafah face not only direct attacks but also a blockade on critical medical services. Ambulances are hampered by drones, and now, with fuel supplies cut off, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah faces imminent closure, leaving hundreds at the mercy of Israeli aggression.

“What we’re experiencing here is a multipronged attack unfortunately where not only are the people being attacked directly, they are also being blocked from receiving critical medical services,” Tahir told the news portal.

He added, “The Kuwaiti Hospital was evacuated – that is the main hospital – and they are moving to al-Mawasi, where they have a field hospital, which is not quite ready. And in the meantime, quadcopters … are restricting the movements of ambulances, so those who are injured cannot even receive help.”

Israel’s relentless fight has left a trail of destruction, with 24 hospitals damaged or destroyed since October. With only six facilities partially operational, the blockade on life-saving supplies condemns Gaza’s residents to a desperate struggle for survival.

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