By Atoyebi Nike
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent warning that Gaza’s health system is on the brink of total collapse, as intensified Israeli military operations continue to devastate medical infrastructure and restrict humanitarian access.
In a statement released Thursday, WHO revealed that only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain operational, and most of these are functioning at minimal capacity amid acute shortages of medical supplies, fuel, food, clean water, and staff. At least 94% of hospitals across the territory have sustained damage or been destroyed.
“Every hospital forced out of service is a lifeline cut off from people in desperate need,” the statement said. “This destructive cycle must end.”
Major Hospitals Forced to Suspend Services
Four key hospitals — Kamal Adwan Hospital, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and the European Gaza Hospital — have ceased operations over the past week due to nearby hostilities or direct attacks. The WHO has documented 28 attacks on healthcare in Gaza in the last week alone, bringing the total to 697 attacks since October 2023.
New evacuation orders across northern and southern Gaza further threaten an additional six hospitals and dozens of primary care centres and medical points. WHO warns that if these facilities are rendered inoperative, as many as 890 hospital beds could be lost — a devastating blow for a population of over two million with only 2,000 functioning hospital beds currently available.
North Gaza Left With Barely Any Care
Health services in northern Gaza are nearing complete collapse. Al-Awda Hospital, the last partially functional facility in the area, was hit twice this week. Wednesday’s attack injured one staff member and damaged vital infrastructure including the water supply. A follow-up strike today injured two more health workers and destroyed WHO-supplied triage tents, medical supplies, and ambulances. WHO’s attempts to reach the facility were thwarted by security concerns.
The Indonesian Hospital remains out of service due to a sustained military presence since May 18. WHO has been unable to deliver aid or assess patient needs at the site after multiple failed missions.
Kamal Adwan Hospital, home to the only centre for treating severe acute malnutrition in North Gaza, shut down on May 20 amid escalating hostilities, forcing premature patient discharges.
South Gaza Hospitals Overwhelmed
In the south, Nasser Medical Complex, Al-Amal, and Al-Aqsa hospitals are struggling to absorb the influx of injured people displaced by renewed fighting. The European Gaza Hospital, a key provider of cardiac, cancer, and neurosurgical services, has remained closed since being attacked on May 13, cutting off specialized care that is unavailable elsewhere in the region.
“Patients are losing access to critical care, while WHO and partner efforts to keep the health system afloat are being undone by repeated strikes,” the organization stated.
WHO Calls for Immediate Protection and Access
Amid growing insecurity, WHO praised the resilience and bravery of health workers — both local and international — still operating in the field under perilous conditions.
The organization reiterated its call for the protection of all healthcare facilities, emphasizing that hospitals “must never be militarized or targeted.”
WHO also demanded unimpeded humanitarian access and large-scale aid deliveries through all available routes. Citing the UN’s coordinated aid mechanisms, WHO stressed that a functioning, accountable system exists and must be supported.
