GAZA, (PIC)
In a serious escalation of violations against Gaza’s healthcare sector, Israeli occupation forces have destroyed the Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital in the city of Al-Zahra, south of Gaza. The hospital was reduced to rubble in one of the most heinous war crimes targeting the besieged Strip’s medical infrastructure.
A beacon of hope reduced to ruins
Opened in 2020 after years of delays due to the blockade, the Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital was the only specialized facility for cancer patients in Gaza, providing treatment for nearly 30,000 patients annually.
At the onset of the Israeli assault, the hospital was repeatedly bombed, resulting in severe damage to its infrastructure. By November 2023, it was forced to cease operations due to extensive destruction, fuel shortages, and a lack of essential medical supplies.
Turned into a military base before being demolished
Satellite images revealed that the Israeli military had taken over the hospital, using it as a base where dozens of military vehicles were stationed, rendering it completely inoperative. Patients were forcibly evacuated, leaving them to face an uncertain fate amid the absence of alternative medical facilities and the inability to seek treatment abroad.
On March 21, 2024, Israeli forces completed their destruction of the hospital, leveling it to the ground in what appears to be a systematic policy of targeting medical facilities.
A systematic attack on healthcare
The Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital was not the only target. Israeli airstrikes have also hit several other hospitals, including Al-Shifa, Kamal Adwan, and the Baptist Hospital, deepening Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has condemned these attacks as blatant war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Global condemnation amidst continued silence
The Palestinian Ministry of Health described the destruction of the hospital as “part of an ongoing genocide and the systematic dismantling of Palestine’s healthcare system.” Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the deliberate targeting of the hospital, calling it part of Israel’s efforts to make Gaza uninhabitable.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has urged the international community to take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against civilians and medical infrastructure. The ongoing global silence, the center warns, only emboldens Israel to continue committing further atrocities against the Palestinian people.
A collapsing healthcare system and worsening humanitarian crisis
Since the start of the assault, Gaza’s hospitals have suffered extensive damage, pushing the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse. With the destruction of the Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital, cancer patients have lost their last hope for treatment, leading to the deaths of hundreds due to a lack of medical care.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights warns that these violations constitute crimes against humanity that demand urgent international accountability, cautioning that Gaza is on the verge of an unprecedented health and humanitarian catastrophe.
