Gaza Health Ministry slams Israeli strike on hospital amid rising death toll
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza strongly condemned an Israeli drone strike on the administration building of Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, calling it a deliberate attack on the medical system amid rising casualties across the besieged enclave.
The ministry warned that targeting medical facilities poses a direct threat to healthcare staff, patients, and the wounded, calling for immediate international protection for Gaza’s remaining operational health institutions. It accused Israeli forces of “systematically dismantling” the already strained health sector and demanded that continued assaults on medical infrastructure be classified as a war crime.
The strike came as Gaza endures its 79th consecutive day of Israeli bombardment. At least 32 Palestinians have been killed since dawn in multiple Israeli airstrikes across the Strip. Arab media reports indicated that the deadliest attack occurred in western Khan Younis, where 18 people, including children, were killed after a drone targeted displaced families sheltering inside a school. Separate strikes claimed more lives in Al-Shati refugee camp, Nuseirat, Jabalia, and Abasan town.
عاجل| شهداء وجرحى بعد غارة من طيران الاحتلال استهدفت موقعا في مخيم الشاطئ غرب مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/XEN4lKMHGp
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) June 4, 2025
The ministry reported 97 bodies arriving at Gaza hospitals in the past 24 hours—two of them recovered from under rubble—alongside 440 injuries. It affirmed that rescue teams are unable to reach victims due to ongoing shelling and blocked access. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli operations have killed 54,607 Palestinians and injured 125,341.
Already Fragile Health System
Long before the war, Gaza's healthcare infrastructure was already under severe strain due to the blockade imposed since 2007. Official statistics indicate just 2,612 hospital beds across the enclave—about 1.2 beds per 1,000 people, far below the global average.
The World Health Organization has documented over 686 direct attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system since the war began. Based on the latest update from the ministry, 22 of the territory’s 38 hospitals are out of service. Reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated that over 80% of health facilities are no longer operational, and at least 70% of ambulances are either destroyed or immobilized due to fuel shortages.
The targeting has not only crippled infrastructure but also devastated personnel: 1,581 health workers have been reportedly killed, 1,312 wounded, and 362 detained.
