The once pivotal Gaza health institution now stands as a stark reminder of conflict’s toll on civilian infrastructure

The devastation at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, following a withdrawal by the Israeli Army, has left a once vital health institution in shambles. Israeli forces had re-entered the hospital in March, targeting Hamas militants they claimed had regrouped in the facility. After intense conflict, what remains is a landscape of destruction, emblematic of the broader human and infrastructural toll in the region.

Israeli troops had initially captured Al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, during a raid in November, aimed at dismantling a Hamas command centre allegedly located in tunnels beneath the hospital. This move was part of a broader strategy to neutralize Hamas’s military capabilities. The return of the Israeli military in March underscored the challenges in securing a lasting disarmament of militant factions and the complexities of conducting military operations within civilian settings.

The aftermath of the conflict has revealed extensive damage to the hospital’s infrastructure. The emergency and surgery departments, critical to the hospital’s function, bore the brunt of the conflict. The extensive use of bullets and shells has left these facilities heavily damaged, with key areas exposed to the elements and medical equipment buried under rubble. The destruction extended beyond the buildings themselves, with the surrounding area, including a plaza and a bridge, turned into a wasteland by the movement of armoured vehicles and the intensity of the combat.

The operation’s impact extends beyond the physical damage to Al-Shifa. It has also stirred a deep divide in perceptions of the conflict. Israeli officials justified their actions as necessary responses to the use of civilian institutions by Hamas for military purposes. They argued that Hamas’s tactics forced their hand, turning essential civilian infrastructure into battlegrounds. Conversely, Palestinians view the destruction as evidence of a disregard for civilian life and infrastructure, accusing Israel of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

This incident at Al-Shifa Hospital underscores the broader narrative of the Israeli-Hamas conflict, where military objectives and civilian casualties are deeply intertwined. The repeated engagements at this site highlight the cyclical nature of the conflict in Gaza, with each side attributing the continuation of hostilities to the actions of the other. The destruction of Al-Shifa, a symbol of medical care and refuge, encapsulates the profound human and material costs of the conflict, raising urgent questions about the path to sustainable peace and the reconstruction of Gaza’s critical infrastructure.