Israel has ordered the closure of al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, leaving dozens of patients stranded without access to medical care. The hospital is the last functioning medical facility in the north of the Palestinian territory, and its closure has raised concerns about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Health officials are scrambling to relocate the 97 patients still at the hospital, but impassable roads have made it impossible to move the medical equipment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the hospital’s protection and staff and patients’ safety, warning that its closure “severes a critical lifeline” for people in the area.
The closure comes as Israeli forces continue their bombardment on Gaza, killing at least 70 Palestinians since Thursday morning. The situation has become increasingly dire, with many people struggling to access basic necessities like food and medicine.
A UN agency has planned a mission to transfer the patients to another facility, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to reach them safely. The Israeli blockade on Gaza continues to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, with aid distribution efforts marred by chaos and violence.
The international community has called for an end to the violence and an easing of the blockade, which critics say is further weaponizing humanitarian assistance in the territory. With the situation growing more catastrophic by the day, the need for a political will to allow aid to reach those in need has become increasingly urgent.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/29/israel-orders-closure-of-al-awda-hospital-a-lifeline-in-north-gaza