The largest hospital in the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse. The latest strike is expected to worsen the health care crisis in the enclave.
Israeli forces targeted the solar panel system of a building in the al-Shifa hospital complex, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, which is already on the verge of collapse due to a shortage of fuel, d water and medicines.
Reporting from Khan Younis in Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abou Azzoum said Israel’s relentless bombardment continued to intensify in the northern and central areas of the besieged enclave.
“This time they (Israeli forces) destroyed the solar panels installed on the roof of al-Shifa hospital,” Abu Azzoum said.
“This is a clear attack that destroyed the solar panels that supply electricity to the hospital’s main services. This will worsen the current situation at al-Shifa Hospital with the current crisis related to the lack of fuel at the hospital.
“This will also end the provision of other services, including drinking water to the thousands of people residing in this complex,” he added.
Palestinian Al-Aqsa Radio also confirmed reports that the hospital’s solar panel system had been struck by Israel.
Target hospitals
Israel continued to bomb heavily near several hospitals in the Gaza Strip as the conflict entered its fourth week.
On Sunday, the lack of fuel and the large number of injured Palestinians arriving at al-Shifa Hospital led to the transfer of its maternity ward to the private al-Helou International Hospital. The area near al-Shifa was also the scene of particularly violent strikes on Sunday.
Earlier today, an Israeli attack struck near Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, injuring at least 14 people and damaging the building.
Hospitals and ambulances have been repeatedly targeted since Israeli attacks began on October 7, killing patients, displaced civilians sheltering in these facilities as well as health workers.
According to the World Health Organization, 39 health facilities have been damaged since the start of the war. Hospitals were also forced to close or withdraw their services after electricity and fuel supplies were cut off.
At least 10,022 Palestinians, including 4,008 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the latest war, Gaza’s health ministry said on Monday, as entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble. More than 1,400 people were killed in Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7, which sparked the war.
Nearly 1.5 million people, more than half the population, are now displaced within Gaza, according to the United Nations.
