No warning… On May 13 the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a deadly airstrike on the European Hospital in Khan Younis. This attack sadly ended the lives of at least 16 people, injuring more than 70 others. This attack represents the culmination of recent missile strikes in this ongoing series. It deepens the worries for the safety of medical facilities in the area, which have already been consistently targeted throughout the continuing hostilities.
The hospital’s intensive care ward was full of critically ill patients at the time of the attack. Among the dead, Mohammed Sinwar was the most prominent Hamas leader to be killed during their present conflict. Although his death has not yet been confirmed, he is presumed to have perished in the attack. The missile strikes—with their target selection and high human cost—have repeatedly appalled the medical community. This crisis has sent our already overwhelmed healthcare system teetering past the tipping point.
Chaos and Destruction
Witnesses described a surreal and terrifying scene filled with craters as explosions ripped through the hospital compound. British surgeon Tom Potokar described in harrowing detail the instant the explosions knocked him out of his bed. One thing the sheer force of those explosions knocked him for six.
“There was a series of very significant loud explosions, much more than the normal explosions,” – Tom Potokar.
He described how he was able to run right out front to gauge the damage. As Potokar approached the entrance, he was greeted by two giant craters from the missile assault. He witnessed hundreds of others, injured, stretched on the pavement, screaming for their lives.
“I came outside immediately to the entrance to the hospital, and there were two huge craters, a few people wounded lying there. It was mayhem, people screaming, people running around,” – Tom Potokar.
In particular, the medical facility has since suffered from unending pressure during the last 18 months of extensive and constant conflict. Today, though, it’s again under enormous pressure as it struggles to cope with the spike in casualties from this latest conflict.
Impact on Medical Services
With the loss of healthcare infrastructure, the European Hospital has become a vital line of care for many in Gaza. Milena Chee, MD, raised ominous warnings about the impact on her patients. She positioned it that many of those who were on death’s door had no other place to go.
“Among them are three children, and they are all very, very sick, on ventilators. They have nowhere to go,” – Milena Chee.
This most recent attack on medical facilities in the two-year long conflict highlights a disturbing trend in the rapidly escalating conflict. The health system in Gaza was already pushed past the brink. Adding insult to injury, IDF forces have targeted healthcare providers for killing and arrest while on door-to-door operations.
A Call for Accountability
Investigations of this incident are only just beginning. This makes it more important than ever for international organizations and human rights advocates to pay close attention to the ongoing targeting of healthcare in today’s conflict zones. The ramifications of such strikes extend beyond immediate physical injuries; they erode trust in medical institutions and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.
