Israel has mandated the shutdown of al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, prompting urgent efforts to evacuate the remaining patients and staff as the region faces intensified bombardment and worsening humanitarian conditions.
At least 70 Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli strikes since early Thursday.
The Gaza Health Ministry condemned the closure as another instance of what it describes as Israel’s continued violations against Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
Al-Awda was the final operational hospital in the northern part of the enclave. Its closure coincides with ongoing forced evacuations in Gaza, with the latest directives affecting numerous residents in the north and east of Gaza City.
In a public appeal, the Health Ministry urged international actors to uphold protections for Gaza’s medical facilities, as outlined under humanitarian and international law.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 97 individuals, including 13 patients, were still present in the hospital. The UN health agency is organizing an operation on Friday to relocate them.
“Medical equipment cannot be moved due to damaged or blocked roads,” the WHO reported.
The agency stressed that the hospital’s closure leaves northern Gaza without any functional medical centers, eliminating a vital healthcare resource.
The WHO called for the safety of hospital staff and patients to be guaranteed and the facility to be protected.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Gaza’s health system has been under continuous attack, with over 1,400 healthcare workers reportedly killed along with patients and displaced individuals sheltering in medical facilities, according to local authorities.
Gaza’s Hunger Crisis Deepens
The shutdown of al-Awda Hospital coincides with a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The ongoing blockade has left many residents without basic necessities, including food and water.
A controversial food distribution initiative, supported by the United States and Israel and managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, continued amid scenes of disarray.
“We traveled over 10 kilometers just to get this box, even though it’s stained with blood,” said Saher Abu Tahoon, a resident of central Gaza, speaking to Al Jazeera. “There’s no food. We’ve had no flour or supplies for five days. We came all this way for our children, and I’m too weak from hunger to carry it.”
Gunfire and explosions were reported near one aid distribution site in central Gaza on Friday morning.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud described how civilians who reached an aid location in the Netzarim Corridor became stranded due to ongoing Israeli military operations.
“People who came for food aid are now trapped,” Mahmoud reported. “They’re surrounded by tanks and under fire. Some are calling on the Red Cross to help coordinate a safe exit.”
Critics say Israel’s attempts to bypass the United Nations in aid distribution could further politicize the humanitarian process.
“The security situation remains volatile, and obstacles to delivering aid persist,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
He noted that around 600 aid trucks are currently waiting on the Gaza side of the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, but Israeli restrictions have prevented the UN from collecting the supplies for three consecutive days.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, issued a dire warning on social media: “Starvation is threatening Gaza’s children. What we need now is the political will to let us do our job—deliver aid at the scale that’s urgently required.”
Despite the worsening crisis, Israeli air raids continued Thursday, killing at least 70 more Palestinians, according to local health sources.
The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that an airstrike on a residential building in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood left about 30 individuals unaccounted for beneath the rubble.
“Without access to heavy machinery, we cannot rescue those trapped,” the agency stated. “We urgently appeal to the international community and human rights groups for immediate help in safeguarding civilians.”
Source: Al Jazeera
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