Israel has ordered the closure of Al-Awda Hospital in Tal al-Zaatar, northern Gaza—the last remaining operational medical facility in the area—forcing a rushed evacuation of patients and staff amid ongoing bombardment and deepening starvation.
The hospital’s shutdown came as part of continued forced displacement operations by Israeli forces, with the latest orders affecting significant numbers of civilians in and around Gaza City. According to hospital authorities, 97 individuals remained at the facility at the time of the order—13 patients and wounded persons, along with 84 medical personnel.
Gaza’s Health Ministry strongly condemned the move, calling it a “continuation of violations and crimes” against Gaza’s already decimated healthcare sector. “We call on all relevant parties to protect the health system in Gaza, as mandated by international and humanitarian law,” the ministry said in a statement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory dispatched emergency teams to Al-Awda to transfer critical patients and assess the situation. The first mission encountered active hostilities, including airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire, underscoring the severe dangers facing humanitarian responders.
Across two missions, WHO teams managed to evacuate 57 individuals—nine of them patients. However, six patients and 70 health workers remain trapped inside, with limited access due to ongoing conflict. Medical teams also provided urgent assistance to an amputee stranded outside the hospital without basic necessities.
“With the closure of Al-Awda, there are now no functional hospitals left in northern Gaza,” the WHO warned, describing the loss as a severance of a vital humanitarian lifeline. The organization announced plans for another evacuation attempt despite extreme security risks, noting that damaged infrastructure and impassable roads have made it impossible to relocate essential medical equipment.
WHO called for the protection of remaining health workers and patients, stressing the need to safeguard medical facilities under international law. “Hospitals must never be attacked or militarized. Ceasefire now,” the agency urged.
Meanwhile, WAFA news agency reported that Israeli forces detonated explosive-laden robots near Al-Awda Hospital, accompanied by intense gunfire targeting the facility’s buildings and infrastructure.
Since the onset of the conflict, Israeli military actions have targeted numerous hospitals across Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 healthcare workers, patients, and displaced civilians seeking refuge within medical facilities.
