Heartbreaking: Kuwait Field Hospital Chief in Gaza Reveals Shocking Death of Guard in Israeli Strike
An Israeli airstrike on Tuesday resulted in the death of a security guard and injuries to ten patients at the Kuwait Specialty Field Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. This attack underscores the growing vulnerability of Gaza’s healthcare sector, severely impacted by the ongoing conflict. Just days earlier, an Israeli strike hit the Ahli Arab Hospital compound in Gaza City, one of the few remaining operational medical centers in the territory.
The Israeli military stated it was reviewing reports of the recent strike on the Kuwait Specialty Field Hospital, following previous assertions that its strike on Ahli Arab Hospital targeted a Hamas command center—claims yet unsubstantiated by evidence. Dr. Suhaib al-Hamss, director of the field hospital, confirmed the security guard was killed while safeguarding the facility’s entrance, with four of the wounded sustaining serious injuries. “It was a powerful strike,” Dr. al-Hamss relayed in a phone interview, emphasizing the chaos it caused within the hospital.
Witnesses described the ensuing panic as a terrifying moment, leading to patients fleeing the hospital. Mohammed Abu Ghali, a field coordinator for the international NGO HEAL Palestine, attested to the fear experienced during the incident. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is exacerbated by the extensive damage to its healthcare system. The World Health Organization recently reported that 33 of the territory’s 36 hospitals have been damaged, with only 21 remaining partially functional. The organization also warned of an imminent medicine shortage due to prolonged blockades on aid deliveries.
Israeli authorities justify targeting medical centers by alleging Hamas uses such facilities for military purposes, a claim vehemently denied by Hamas and medical staff. The New York Times examined evidence suggesting Hamas employed the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City as cover but noted the lack of similar evidence for other hospitals hit during the strikes.
Dr. al-Hamss asserted that the Kuwait Specialty Field Hospital’s location was communicated to Israeli authorities through intermediaries prior to the attack. He maintained that the hospital’s operations are strictly medical, without hosting any Hamas offices. The facility plays a crucial role in serving an estimated 3,500 patients daily, addressing the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare sector.
The conflict resumed full force last month after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas broke down, prompting an intensified bombing campaign and land incursions by Israel. The Israeli military claimed the offensive aims to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages from the enclave. Gaza’s health ministry reports over 1,600 fatalities since the cease-fire’s collapse, contributing to a cumulative toll of more than 51,000 since the war’s onset. The figures do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, but doctors in Gaza note many of the recent victims are children.
On April 3, after airstrikes near a school-turned-shelter, Ahli Arab Hospital’s emergency room treated over a dozen injured children. The military attributed this strike to targeting known militants in a Hamas command center without identifying them. Patrick Kingsley provided additional reporting for this article.
Original Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/world/middleeast/gaza-hospital-israel-military.html
Category : Israel-Gaza War (2023- ),Hospitals,Al Ahli Arab Hospital (Gaza Strip),Al Shifa Hospital (Gaza Strip),Hamas,World Health Organization,Gaza Strip,Israel
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Publish Date: 2025-04-15 19:42:00
