In a rapidly escalating conflict, Israeli forces launched airstrikes in northern Gaza early Monday morning, intensifying attacks near civilian structures and medical facilities. The strikes targeted areas close to hospitals, including Al-Awda Hospital in the Jabalia refugee camp and Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, both of which had been providing critical care to civilians amidst the ongoing violence. Medical staff reported that multiple floors of these hospitals sustained structural damage, further complicating the already dire humanitarian situation.
Reports indicate that at least five medical workers were injured in the vicinity of Al-Awda Hospital, where emergency teams had been on standby around the clock due to the high casualty rates in the densely populated area. Hospital administrators noted that while no patients were directly injured in this latest assault, the bombing’s proximity severely hampered their ability to provide urgent care, as medical equipment and power generators were damaged in the attack.
Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, two paramedics were killed in a separate Israeli airstrike near the village of Maroun al-Ras, located close to the Lebanese-Israeli border. The two medics, part of a volunteer team from the Lebanese Red Cross, had been stationed in the area to assist civilians displaced by recent clashes. Local sources confirmed that the attack targeted a convoy that included an ambulance, despite visible humanitarian markings. This brings the total number of medical personnel fatalities in Lebanon this week to four, adding to the rising toll among first responders operating in highly dangerous conditions.
The United Nations and several international humanitarian organizations have expressed growing alarm over the targeting of medical facilities and personnel in the conflict zones. UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) released joint statements condemning attacks on healthcare providers, warning that the assaults violate international humanitarian law, which mandates the protection of medical staff and facilities in war zones. The Red Cross also urged an immediate cessation of strikes near hospitals, as staff shortages and power outages are stretching Gaza’s medical infrastructure to the breaking point.
Despite international pleas, Israel has defended its actions, stating that militants had allegedly taken cover near these medical facilities, using them as shields to avoid detection and retaliation. Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson emphasized the need for “precise and necessary” military action to eliminate threats but refrained from disclosing specific targets.
The situation in northern Gaza and along the Israeli-Lebanese border remains tense as both sides brace for further escalation, with humanitarian agencies scrambling to support the civilians and medical staff trapped in the crossfire.
Al Jazeera, BBC News, Reuters, The Guardian, Associated Press (AP), The New York Times.
