Photo shows the aftermath of Israeli forces setting fire to the surgery ward at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Gaza Strip.

Gaza City, November 4 (RHC)--Three partially functioning hospitals treating severely wounded patients and sheltering displaced Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza have been encircled and bombed by Israeli troops in the besieged territory.

Latest media reports on Sunday indicated that Israeli forces bombed al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia and also shelled Kamal Adwan and the Indonesian hospitals in Beit Lahiya.

The hospitals are now out of service after coming under intense Israeli fire.

Israeli bombardment of Kamal Adwan Hospital resulted in injuries and damage to vital medical equipment.  "We were sleeping in the morning when we heard a loud bombing sound. Stones and sand were flying at us," a resident of Beit Lahiya was quoted as saying.

Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, stated that there was extensive shelling and demolition of residential blocks surrounding the hospital and the Yemen al-Saeed area throughout the night.

The explosions caused significant damage, even to the hospital itself, where nearly all doors and most windows were shattered.  The blasts created a sense of terror and fear among patients in Kamal Adwan Hospital, and unfortunately, the situation is ongoing, he said.

“We have not received any medical delegations,” Abu Safiya added.  "Currently, we have 120 injured patients in the hospital, most of whom require urgent surgeries, but sadly, we are unable to provide assistance. We are in urgent need of increased international pressure to help the healthcare system fulfill its duties in accordance with applicable humanitarian laws," he said.

In recent weeks, hospitals in northern Gaza have been paralyzed once again, with Israeli troops fighting in the nearby Jabalia refugee camp.  All three hospitals were besieged and raided by Israeli troops about 10 months ago.

The medical facilities still have not recovered from the damage, yet they are the only hospitals that are even partially operational in the area. 

In its yearlong campaign in Gaza, Israel has notably carried out an open campaign against hospitals, besieging and raiding at least 10 of them across the Gaza Strip, some of which have been targeted multiple times.

Most prominently, Israel twice raided Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in the Strip. However, the focus on Shifa has overshadowed raids on other facilities.

The Indonesian Hospital is Northern Gaza’s largest hospital. Today, its top floors are charred, its walls pockmarked by shrapnel, and its gates strewn with piled-up rubble—all remnants of Israel’s siege in the autumn of 2023.

Zaher Sahloul, the president of MedGlobal, who has also worked in Gaza during the Israeli aggression, stated that the sense of safety that should surround hospitals has been destroyed.

Intense operations are ongoing amid a near-total lack of humanitarian aid, as well as severe communications and internet disruptions.

The Israeli aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip began in October last year. Since then, more than 43,300 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children.

Unrelenting Israeli air and artillery strikes have already pushed the blockaded territory to the brink. Lack of food, water, and urgent medical supplies are also taking their toll on the Gaza population.