By The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, one of Gaza’s few remaining functional medical facilities, has been rapidly emptying as Israeli forces advance toward the area, officials reported on Monday.
While the Israeli military has not explicitly ordered the hospital’s evacuation, patients and civilians sheltering there are fleeing due to fears of imminent fighting or potential military raids.
Located in Deir al-Balah, the hospital serves as the primary medical center for central Gaza. The exodus comes as Israel has issued evacuation orders for nearby areas, signaling a possible ground operation in a town that has largely been spared from direct conflict throughout the 10-month war.
The evacuation of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying military activity across Gaza. On Monday, Israeli strikes in Gaza City and Khan Younis resulted in at least 19 fatalities, according to local officials. Concurrently, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed along the Lebanon border.
Throughout the conflict, Israeli forces have conducted operations in several Gaza hospitals, accusing Hamas of using medical facilities for military purposes – allegations consistently denied by Palestinian health officials.
The scope of Israeli evacuation orders now encompasses approximately 84% of Gaza’s territory, as reported by the United Nations. An estimated 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, many multiple times.
These orders have effectively shrunk the humanitarian zone initially declared by Israel at the war’s outset, while concentrating more Palestinians within its reduced boundaries.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that an explosion about 250 meters from the hospital on Sunday sparked panic, accelerating the exodus. The organization stated on social media platform X, “As a result, MSF is considering whether to suspend wound care for the time being, while trying to maintain life-saving treatment.”
Before the recent evacuation orders, which apply to residential areas approximately one kilometer away, the hospital was treating over 600 patients. Now, only about 100 patients remain, including seven in intensive care and eight in the pediatric ward.
The Israeli military stated it was conducting operations against Hamas in Deir al-Balah, aiming to dismantle remaining infrastructure. They emphasized that evacuation orders were issued to protect civilians and did not include hospitals or medical facilities. The military also claimed to have informed Palestinian health officials that evacuating these facilities was unnecessary.
As the situation unfolds, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. Only 16 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functioning, according to the World Health Organization. The difficulty in importing and distributing aid has led to widespread hunger and disease outbreaks, further straining the already overwhelmed health sector.
The ongoing conflict, which began on October 7 with a Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities, has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. As international efforts to broker a lasting ceasefire continue, the plight of Gaza’s civilians and the fate of its remaining medical facilities remain at the forefront of humanitarian concerns.
