UN Reports 500 Healthcare Workers Killed in Gaza Since October

The UN Human Rights Office stated Tuesday that these deaths occurred alongside persistent strikes on hospitals and medical facilities, which constitute clear violations of international law. The World Health Organization has documented over 460 separate attacks on medical personnel and infrastructure since the conflict began. Among the latest casualties is Hani Al Ja'afarwi, director of Gaza’s Emergency and Ambulance Services, who was killed in a strike on a clinic on June 23.

Medical aid organizations warn that the situation has forced staff into impossible conditions. With no hospitals in the Gaza Strip fully operational, doctors are treating patients without basic supplies like anesthesia. Rohan Talbot of Medical Aid for Palestinians noted that while these attacks are occurring at an unprecedented scale, they reflect a long-standing pattern of impunity. Staff report that wearing medical scrubs now carries such significant risk that many choose to change into civilian clothing immediately upon leaving their shifts to avoid being targeted.

Haider Al-Qudra of the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that 34 of his staff members have been killed, 19 of whom died while actively responding to emergency calls. Despite these losses and the broader humanitarian crisis—which includes the spread of infectious diseases and mounting starvation—international pressure has yet to result in concrete measures to protect those providing life-saving care on the front lines.