ISTANBUL 

Israeli bombardment around medical facilities has forced the shutdown of Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and Gaza City’s Eye Hospital, the only public eye-care center in the territory, the Health Ministry said Monday.

A ministry statement said Israeli strikes also destroyed the Medical Relief Society health center in Gaza City. It noted that Al-Rantisi Hospital had already suffered heavy damage in a direct strike days earlier.

The ministry accused Israel of deliberately targeting the health system, calling it part of a “systematic policy” against medical services in the enclave.

Authorities said patients and wounded face extreme difficulty reaching the Jordanian Field Hospital in southern Gaza and Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City because of ongoing bombardment and the lack of safe roads.

The ministry appealed to the international community to intervene to protect medical facilities and staff.

Last week, the ministry said the Israeli army struck Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital three times while 80 patients were inside. According to the statement, the attacks targeted the hospital’s upper floors in three consecutive strikes spaced minutes apart.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has been carrying out a genocide in Gaza, killing more than 65,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The onslaught has displaced hundreds of thousands alongside a blockade on humanitarian aid that has led to famine and claimed the lives of at least 442 Palestinians, including 147 children.