The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng, has strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the last operational hospital in northern Gaza, which was struck on April 13, 2025.

The attack destroyed the hospital’s emergency department and resulted in the death of a child due to lack of access to adequate medical care.

“I am horrified to learn that the war on hospitals, health care providers, and civilians continues, making the provision of health services even more impossible in a system that has already been brought to its knees,” Mofokeng said in a statement. She described the attack as part of a broader assault on Gaza’s health care system, which has been “decimated” after more than 18 months of conflict.

The airstrike has left Gaza with no viable options for emergency medical care, according to Mofokeng, who accused Israel of operating “with impunity.” The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that between October 7, 2023, and March 14, 2025, at least 670 attacks on health infrastructure occurred, affecting 122 health facilities and damaging 33 hospitals.

Mofokeng highlighted the daily risks faced by health workers, who endure harassment, intimidation, and death while attempting to save lives. “Health care facilities and health workers must be protected under international law,” she emphasized.

The Special Rapporteur called on the international community and world leaders to take urgent action to end the war and restore health services in Gaza, where medical aid and supplies have been severely restricted since the onset of Israeli attacks. “The people of Gaza deserve dignity and the restoration of health services,” she said, appealing to global leaders to act to “preserve the population of Gaza.”

Mofokeng’s remarks underscore the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where ongoing violence continues to devastate civilian infrastructure and exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians. (ILKHA)