DaysofPal- The Gaza European Hospital, one of the largest healthcare facilities in the southern Gaza Strip, is facing a “real danger” as it approaches one year out of service, according to its medical director, Saleh Al-Hams.
Speaking to Sanad News Agency on Thursday, Al-Hams said the hospital has remained closed since May 7, 2025, warning that its prolonged shutdown is severely impacting healthcare access in the region.
He described the facility as a cornerstone of advanced medical services for residents in southern Gaza.
Al-Hams noted that the hospital was previously the only center in the area capable of performing complex surgeries, including cardiac, pediatric, and specialized procedures. Its absence, he said, has left a critical gap in medical care.
Medical teams have reportedly been unable to access the hospital for months. During the last visit, signs of armed group presence were observed inside the facility, which Al-Hams said is now effectively under the control of militias and located within the “yellow zone.”
“The loss of Gaza European Hospital is a severe blow to the healthcare system,” Al-Hams said, adding that its closure has forced approximately 500,000 Palestinians to seek treatment elsewhere, increasing pressure on the remaining operational medical facilities.
He appealed to the international community to take urgent action to restore the hospital’s operations, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and armed groups from the site and for medical staff to be allowed to return.
The closure follows extensive damage sustained during Israeli military operations.
On May 15, 2025, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the hospital had been rendered inoperable due to repeated strikes.
According to health officials, Israeli forces carried out intense bombardments over two days in May 2025, resulting in the deaths of around 35 people and injuries to dozens more.
Before its shutdown, the hospital was equipped with 28 intensive care beds, 12 neonatal incubators, 260 inpatient beds, 25 emergency beds, and 60 oncology beds, all of which are now out of service, further compounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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