Mohamed Majed and Sahin Demir
01 August 2026•Update: 01 August 2026
Gaza’s Health Ministry warned Saturday that the enclave’s medical system is rapidly approaching collapse after Israeli forces destroyed a drug warehouse at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, amid severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
Earlier Saturday, the ministry said the Israeli army destroyed two warehouses containing essential medicines and medical supplies and severely damaged two others in strikes on storage facilities at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
Munir Al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu that Israeli attacks were no longer limited to patients, medical staff and hospitals but had expanded to include medicine warehouses.
“The Israeli occupation targeted the drug warehouse of the kidney department behind the outpatient building at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital after prior notification, completely destroying it,” he said.
Al-Bursh said the strike came as Gaza’s health sector was already facing a 51% shortage of essential medicines and a 59% shortage of medical consumables, while 22.5% of laboratory equipment is out of service because of a lack of spare parts.
He described the attack as “a direct blow to what remains of the lifeline inside hospitals.”
Al-Bursh warned that the destruction of the warehouse would deepen the humanitarian crisis, accelerate the collapse of the healthcare system and deprive thousands of patients of their basic right to treatment.
“The war here is not only targeting buildings, but also medicine, treatment and people’s chance to stay alive,” he said.
He called for the protection of medicine warehouses and medical supplies in Gaza under international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on medical facilities and supplies designated for civilian treatment.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital is one of the few remaining operational government hospitals in Gaza after widespread destruction of the territory’s health infrastructure during Israel’s military campaign, which began on Oct. 8, 2023.
The hospital has repeatedly come under Israeli attack during the war, sustaining damage to its buildings and resulting in casualties among patients and medical staff.
The latest strike comes as Israel continues its blockade of Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities. Israel has failed to fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, including reopening crossings and allowing agreed levels of humanitarian, food and medical aid into the enclave.
According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 injured since October 2023, while about 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed. The United Nations estimates reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
