Two of Four Warehouses Destroyed in a Dawn Strike.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza announced on Saturday that an Israeli strike on its medicine and medical supply warehouses caused severe damage to the facility, with initial material losses estimated at more than half a million dollars. In a press statement, the hospital said the strike had directly and systematically targeted its medicine and supply warehouses, completely destroying two of the four storage facilities and inflicting serious damage on the remaining two, in addition to damaging the outpatient clinic building located next to the warehouses.
Panic Among Patients as Supplies Are Lost
The hospital said the strike, which occurred during the early morning hours, caused the loss and spoilage of large quantities of medicines, consumables, and medical supplies intended for treating patients and the wounded, while also triggering panic among patients, their companions, and medical staff. It noted that the attack came amid an already severe and unprecedented shortage of medicine and medical supplies, warning that the destruction of the warehouses threatens the ability of medical teams to continue providing treatment and saving the lives of patients and the wounded.
A Call for International Intervention Over Alleged Geneva Convention Violations
The hospital described the strike as part of a systematic policy aimed at dismantling what remains of Gaza’s health system, following the blockade, restrictions on bringing in medicine and medical supplies, and obstacles preventing patients from traveling abroad for treatment. It said the attack constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, both of which guarantee protection for hospitals and medical facilities during armed conflict.
The hospital called on the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and UN, human rights, and humanitarian institutions to intervene urgently and send field missions to document the damage and provide protection for health facilities and medical staff. It further urged the international community and relief organizations to accelerate the provision of alternative medicine and medical supplies to replace what was destroyed, and to ensure the immediate entry of medical supplies to prevent a further deterioration of Gaza’s health crisis.
