Palestinian International Organization for Peace and Human Rights
March 21, 2025
The bombing of the Turkish Friendship Hospital in the Gaza Strip in March 2015 raised concerns about the fate of the Strip’s medical infrastructure, as healthcare facilities suffered cumulative damage and frequent service disruptions. The loss of specialized facilities underscores the additional burdens on patients, their families, and the hospitals that remain operational.
Human and professional impacts
When a well-equipped medical facility is out of service, cases are distributed among other health centers that may already be suffering from shortages of staff, equipment, and fuel. Access to regular treatment becomes more difficult, especially for patients who require specialized care.
Legal protection
Medical units and facilities enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law. Any allegations of their use for military purposes require careful assessment and do not automatically negate obligations relating to warning, precautions, and the protection of patients.
The need for accountability and response
Restoring medical services, securing equipment and supplies, and investigating the circumstances of the destruction of medical facilities are urgent matters to preserve the population’s right to treatment.
Featured image: Illustrative archive image and does not document the event. Demolished houses in Gaza. Photo by: Jaber Jihad Badwan, License CC BY-SA 4.0 — Image source.
