AL-AWDA Hospital in Tel al-Zaatar, northern Gaza, has issued an urgent appeal to international humanitarian bodies after an Israeli airstrike ignited a catastrophic fire in its medicine warehouse, accelerating the collapse of Gaza’s decimated healthcare system.
The fire, still raging, poses a severe threat to patients and staff. The hospital called on the Red Cross, WHO, and UN agencies to intervene immediately.
Civil defence crews cannot reach the site due to intensified Israeli military activity and restricted access.
The blaze broke out on Thursday, when Israeli forces struck the warehouse.
That same day, they also shelled Al-Awda Hospital’s reception floor.
The hospital warned that, without urgent intervention, the fire could bring about a total breakdown of healthcare in northern Gaza.
This attack follows repeated assaults on Gaza’s medical facilities.
On 18 May, Israeli forces surrounded The Indonesian Hospital, while Kamal Adwan Hospital has faced continued strikes. Israel alleges hospitals are used by armed factions, but no evidence has been presented.
These claims have been widely disputed by human rights groups and international media investigations.
As Gaza’s healthcare system falters, Israeli occupation forces also carried out a deadly airstrike on Friday in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, killing at least six aid security personnel and injuring dozens more.
The victims were guarding humanitarian supplies under siege conditions.
The massacre began when looters targeted aid convoys. As security teams intervened, Israeli warplanes launched direct strikes, killing several instantly.
Aircraft then bombed civilians and repeatedly struck ambulances and emergency responders.
At least eight additional raids followed, increasing casualties and blocking rescue efforts.
Shelling and gunfire have made access to the wounded nearly impossible.
The Government Media Office in Gaza condemned the strike as a deliberate assault on aid efforts: ‘The occupation is intentionally targeting those securing aid to obstruct delivery and enable looting of supplies.’
Nahed Shuheiber, Director General of Private Transport Companies in Gaza, condemned the looting and Israeli strikes at aid distribution points in Bani Suheila and Ramzoun, calling them a severe blow to relief efforts in the face of growing famine.
He urged families, local institutions, and international organisations to act urgently. ‘Uninterrupted humanitarian access is essential under the catastrophic conditions imposed by Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza,’ he said.
