As last major hospital lies in ruins, people of Gaza dying ‘slow death,’ Caritas rep says

With northern Gaza Strip’s last major hospital lying in ruins following a raid by Israeli forces, the director of Caritas Jerusalem said that with limited medical resources and basic supplies, Palestinians in the ravaged territory are running out of time.

“It’s a slow death, one way or another,” Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem, told OSV News Jan. 8.

“We are in a terrible situation now in Gaza, whether in the north or in the south. Less and less food is coming in and (there are) many diseased people; there are a lot of viruses spreading,” he said.

Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza Dec. 28, the last functioning hospital in the area, forcing staff and patients to evacuate outside in the cold. According to The Associated Press, the Israeli military said the raid was part of a series of operations targeting Hamas’ infrastructure.

Despite presenting no evidence, the Israeli military claimed Hamas militants were operating inside the hospital, AP reported.

Although not directly referencing the raid, Pope Francis called on the international community to act “so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts.”

“No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces! Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always!” the pope exclaimed Jan. 5 after reciting the Angelus prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The pope’s condemnation echoed a similar statement made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk.

Addressing a Jan. 3 U.N. Security Council meeting, Türk called the destruction of hospitals a “human rights catastrophe” that “continues to unfold in Gaza before the eyes of the world.”

The raid also drew condemnation from human rights organizations, including the World Health Organization, or WHO, which described Israel’s actions as part of a “systematic dismantling of the health system” that “puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk.”

WHO expressed concern for “the movement and treatment” of patients evacuated from the hospital, especially those in critical condition.

Only 16 of Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational, their collective capacity merely above 1,800 beds, which is “entirely insufficient for the overwhelming medical needs,” the organization said.

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHOs representative for the West Bank and Gaza, in a Security Council meeting Jan. 3, painted a grim picture of the situation, emphasizing that over 25% of the 105,000 injured civilians now face life-changing injuries.

“At the current rate, it would take five to 10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients,” Peeperkorn warned, noting that over 12,000 people remain on waiting lists for urgent treatment abroad.

WHO also said it was “deeply concerned” for the well-being of the hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was detained by Israeli forces following the raid.

The Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, did not respond to OSV News regarding the whereabouts of Abu Safiya and the numerous requests by human rights organizations regarding his status.

According to a report by BBC News, the IDF said the doctor was “currently being investigated by Israeli security forces.”

The statement came after the Israeli military initially denied having knowledge of his whereabouts after Physicians for Human Rights Israel filed a petition with the Israeli High Court demanding the disclosure of Abu Safiya’s location, the BBC reported.

Speaking to OSV News via video call, Asfar explained that Caritas Jerusalem has not operated in northern Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack, given the high risk to its staff.

Although Caritas is continuing to provide primary healthcare in the Zaytun Quarter, he said, it has been unable to reopen the Caritas Medical Center in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza “given the highly turbulent situation there.”

Asfar also expressed concerns on the recent attack on northern Gaza hospital, especially children and elderly patients who have no choice but to go south in search of aid.

“Primary health care services are the first defense line for health. But many times, our doctors refer people to the secondary health (services) which are hospitals,” he said.

“Without the presence of secondary health services, it’s a total collapse for the health services all over the Gaza Strip. And the shortage of medicine and medical supplies are really great these days. There’s not much coming, which is really terrible. We are in a terrible situation now in Gaza, whether in the North or in the South,” Asfar told OSV News.

Despite the challenges, particularly the difficulty in transporting much needed food and medicine to Gaza, Asfar said that the doctors, nurses and staff of Caritas Jerusalem “are doing their best with the resources that they have” and also providing “psychosocial support for children and women.”

“The suffering is being postponed for these people; postponed for 15 months or so. So, there’s much to be done from the psychosocial perspective,” he said.

The limited resources and medical supplies, he added, have forced staff members to find other ways to provide relief.

“If you have a fever and you don’t have Paracetamol, you can imagine the situation,” Asfar explained. So then if you get a fever of 40°C (104°F), then you will have to use a piece of cloth with water and put it on your head and put it on your ankles. And this is the way they use to decrease that.”

Despite the dire circumstances, Asfar told OSV News that Caritas Jerusalem will continue to find resources for the people of Gaza and that he and his staff are trying to remain hopeful for what the new year may bring for the people of Palestine.

“We’ll see what will happen after (President Donald) Trump’s administration takes over; if a change will happen. We are very hopeful, from a faith perspective, for a better year than the (previous) year. A year with serenity and a calmer year from last year,” he said.

“When I talk to the staff and to my colleagues in Gaza, because of the bonding relationships between us … we are trying to … to give them patience and courage that tomorrow we will meet. Hopefully tomorrow we will meet,” he said.

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