Critical situation in Gaza hospitals amid forced displacement of residents

Suhib Al-Hams, Chairman of Al-Kuwait Hospital in Gaza, stated that government and field hospitals in southern Gaza are unable to accommodate the massive influx of residents and displaced people.

Referring to Israel’s forced evacuation of Gaza residents toward the south, which increases pressure on hospitals and medical services, he said: “There is no safe or humanitarian area in southern Gaza; all locations are crowded, dangerous, and lack basic services.”

Al-Hams emphasized that hospitals are operating under extremely difficult conditions and are at risk of complete closure. “Since the resumption of the war on March 18, 2025, we have not received sufficient medical aid,” he added.

He also noted that Al-Kuwait Hospital has suspended scheduled surgeries, affecting thousands of patients. “The hospital used to perform 40 surgeries daily, and the waiting list for the next six months is now fully closed,” he warned.

The hospital director further stressed: “We warn that within the next week to ten days, hospital management will be forced to close its clinics entirely. This is a dangerous indicator of the gradual cessation of services, and the hospital will only operate as an emergency center.”

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced that Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and the Eye Hospital have ceased operations due to the continuous targeting of the surrounding areas and the destruction of a medical relief center in Gaza City. The statement noted that Al-Rantisi Hospital was directly bombed a few days ago, causing extensive damage.

The Ministry emphasized that the Eye Hospital is the only government hospital providing ophthalmic services in Gaza, while Al-Rantisi offers unique services. It added that the occupiers, as part of their genocidal policy against the Gaza Strip, are deliberately and systematically destroying the healthcare system in Gaza.

The statement also highlighted that there are no safe roads to all centers and hospitals that provide access for patients and the wounded. Continuous bombing has made it extremely difficult for patients and casualties to reach Jordan Field Hospital and Al-Quds Hospital. The Ministry once again called on all relevant parties to protect Gaza’s medical facilities and healthcare workers.