Gaza hospital ‘surrounded by tanks’ as other healthcare facilities say they’ve been damaged by Israeli strikes

The Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has been surrounded by tanks as multiple healthcare facilities in the Gaza Strip say they have sustained damage due to Israeli airstrikes. Reports indicate that the hospital has been surrounded by tanks, with the immediate surrounding area blocked off to the public. The hospital stated that they are running out of medications and medical supplies, and that medical teams are in need of protective measures. Other healthcare facilities have also reported damage from Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including a medical facility run by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza City, which was damaged as a result of an Israeli airstrike. The destruction of health care facilities and personnel is a direct violation of international humanitarian law, as it is considered to be a war crime. Moreover, attacks on hospitals threaten to exacerbate the long-term health and human rights crisis in Gaza. The impacts thus far range from physical damage to healthcare facilities to the displacement of hundreds of patients and medical personnel. In addition, an unfolding medical and humanitarian crisis is the imminent danger of a health care system that already suffers from a severe lack of resources and is now under an immense strain.