A devastating fire erupted early Thursday morning at the medicine warehouse of Al-Awda Hospital in Tel Al-Zaatar, northern Gaza, following a direct Israeli strike. Flames quickly spread from tents in the hospital courtyard to the storage facility and other parts of the building, forcing medical teams into a desperate struggle to control the blaze.

Amidst ongoing gunfire targeting the hospital and a continued Israeli siege, staff remain trapped inside, unable to evacuate due to the blockade. The main access route has been blocked by rubble caused by relentless shelling, further isolating the facility.

Earlier, Israeli tanks shelled the hospital’s surgical department for a second time. Reports confirm direct attacks on the hospital grounds, damaging vital water and fuel storage tanks and causing severe destruction. The assault also set fire to outpatient clinic tents and left several hospital employees and volunteers injured.

Despite the escalating violence, Al-Awda Hospital’s staff remain committed to providing care under these dire wartime conditions. The hospital has urgently called on the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene and ensure protection for its 130 staff members and the patients relying on their care amid this growing humanitarian disaster.