The Palestinian Medical Relief Society strongly condemns the bombing of its administrative headquarters and main medical center in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.
This headquarters also houses the only center in Gaza City for chronic disease care, providing essential services to thousands of patients daily, including:
- General medicine and women’s health
- Cardiology, diabetes care, neurology, ophthalmology, pulmonology, orthopedics, nephrology, dermatology, and pediatrics
- Malnutrition clinic
- Ultrasound imaging services
- Physiotherapy and psychosocial support center
- Comprehensive medical laboratory
- The central pharmacy, which contains vital stocks of medicines and medical supplies
- The center employs 52 dedicated staff members, all of whom are now in imminent danger as a result of this attack. The bombing caused partial destruction to the upper section of the building, but the entire facility remains under threat.
The targeting of this vital medical center endangers the lives of thousands of patients and deprives the people of Gaza of their fundamental right to healthcare. We currently do not know the status of our staff and patients.
PMRS affirms that this attack constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits the targeting of medical and humanitarian facilities. This is the 4 attack PMRS has experienced in the last 2 weeks.
We call on the international community, humanitarian organizations, and human rights bodies to intervene immediately to stop this assault and to ensure the protection of medical staff and health facilities. This news comes as the ministry of health has confirmed that the healthcare system is taking its last breaths. Immediate action is needed now to protect healthcare and to preserve Palestinian lives.
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)
