al-Awda Hospital
{{Short description|Hospital in Jabalia, Gaza Strip, Palestine}}
{{Infobox hospital
| Name = Al-Awda Hospital
مستشفى العودة
| Org/Group =
|native_name_lang = ar
| Image =
| Caption =
| map_type =
| latitude =
| longitude =
| Logo =
| Location = Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza Strip
| Region = Gaza Governorate
| State =
| Country = Palestine
| Coordinates = {{Coord|31|31|47.47|N|34|28|47.2|E|type:landmark_region:PS|display=inline,title}}
| HealthCare = Emergency room, maternity ward
| Type = Treatment
| Speciality =
| Standards =
| Emergency =
| Affiliation =
| Beds =
| Founded = 1997
| Closed =
}}
Al-Awda Hospital ({{langx|ar|مستشفى العودة}}) is a hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The hospital provides basic medical care, with an emergency room and obstetric services for women in the northern Gaza Strip.
The hospital has the largest delivery room in the district and is the only one that provides fluoroscopy services. It runs training programs for nursing students in cooperation with universities in the Gaza Strip.
In October 2024, during the Gaza war, Israeli warplanes bombed the hospital at least three times; Israeli tanks also besieged the facility twice, once in December 2023 and again in October 2024, with the latter siege trapping 163 people in the hospital and drawing ire from Relief International and the World Health Organization.{{Cite web |last=Redmond |first=Craig |title=An urgent call to save the staff and patients of Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/10/27/an-urgent-call-to-save-the-staff-and-patients-of-gazas-al-awda-hospital |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-24 |title=Northern Gaza: Al-Awda hospital, one of the area’s last functioning health facilities, may be forced to cease operations |url=https://www.ri.org/northern-gaza-al-awda-hospital-one-of-the-areas-last-functioning-health-facilities-may-be-forced-to-cease-operations/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Relief International |language=en-US}}
Israel has killed Doctors Without Borders staff at the facility.{{Cite web |title=Gaza: MSF doctors killed in strike on Al-Awda Hospital |url=https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gaza-msf-doctors-killed-strike-al-awda-hospital |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Doctors Without Borders - USA |language=en}}
Gaza War (2008–2009)
In 2009 an ambulance operating out of Al-Awda hospital in the northern city of Beit Lahiya was shelled, seriously injuring 4 medical staff.{{Cite news
| title = Situation Report from the Humanitarian Coordinator - 4 January 2009 as of 17:00
| url = http://www.ochaopt.org/gazacrisis/admin/output/files/ocha_opt_gaza_situation_report_2009_01_04_english.pdf
| date = 4 January 2009
| publisher = UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
| access-date = 4 January 2009
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090114195351/http://www.ochaopt.org/gazacrisis/admin/output/files/ocha_opt_gaza_situation_report_2009_01_04_english.pdf
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = 14 January 2009
}}
Gaza war (2023–present)
The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly condemned Israel's repeated orders to evacuate al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, calling it a death sentence for the sick and wounded.{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news/item/14-10-2023-evacuation-orders-by-israel-to-hospitals-in-northern-gaza-are-a-death-sentence-for-the-sick-and-injured|title=Evacuation orders by Israel to hospitals in northern Gaza are a death sentence for the sick and injured|website=www.who.int}} On 10 November, an Israeli strike was reported near Al-Awda Hospital, resulting in damage to an ambulance.{{Cite web |last=Gadzo |first=Mersiha |last2=Pietromarchi |first2=Virginia |last3=Mohamed |first3=Edna |title=As Israeli tanks surround hospitals, UN calls northern Gaza 'hell on Earth' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2023/11/10/israel-hamas-war-live-fears-grow-for-palestinians-at-gaza-hospitals |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}} On 21 November, Doctors Without Borders stated two of its doctors had been killed by a strike on the hospital.{{cite web |title=MSF doctors killed in strike on Al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza |url=https://www.msf.org/msf-doctors-killed-strike-al-awda-hospital-northern-gaza-palestine |website=Doctors Without Borders |access-date=19 December 2023}} On 1 December, Doctors Without Borders stated the hospital had been damaged in a bombing.{{cite web |title=MSF says Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital ‘damaged’ in Israeli blast |url=https://aje.io/envkfc?update=2528387 |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=1 December 2023}}
=2023 siege=
On 13 December, Jacobin reported that 240 people were trapped at al-Awda, surrounded by Israeli snipers, without clean water and surviving on one meal per day of bread or rice.{{cite web |last1=Marcetic |first1=Branko |title=As Israel Besieges al-Awda Hospital, War Crimes in Gaza Have Become Unremarkable |url=https://jacobin.com/2023/12/israel-besiege-al-awda-hospital-war-crimes-deliberate-attack-civilians |website=Jacobin |access-date=14 December 2023}} A staffer at the hospital reported Israeli snipers had shot at a one pregnant civilian at the hospital.{{cite web |last1=Ludwig |first1=Mike |title=IDF Shot at Pregnant Civilian Outside Gaza Hospital Under Siege, Staffer Says |url=https://truthout.org/articles/idf-shot-at-pregnant-civilian-outside-gaza-hospital-under-siege-staffer-says/ |website=Truthout |access-date=14 December 2023}} A hospital monitoring manager stated a nurse had been killed by an Israeli sniper on the hospital's fourth floor through the window.{{cite web |title=Al-Awda Hospital in north Gaza under siege, Israeli sniper kills two |url=https://www.jordannews.jo/Section-20/Middle-East/Al-Awda-Hospital-in-north-Gaza-under-siege-Israeli-sniper-kills-two-32884 |website=Jordan News |access-date=14 December 2023}} On 14 December, the Gaza Health Ministry stated their fear that after the Israeli raid of Kamal Adwan Hospital was complete, al-Awda would be their next target.{{cite web |last1=Patil |first1=Anushka |title=Israeli forces raid another hospital and detain doctors, Gaza’s health ministry says. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/12/14/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news/israeli-forces-raided-another-hospital-in-gaza-and-detained-doctors-the-health-ministry-says?smid=url-share |website=The New York Times |access-date=14 December 2023}}
Renzo Fricke, an official at Doctors Without Borders, stated, "Reports coming out of Al-Awda hospital are harrowing and we are gravely worried for safety of patients and staff inside".{{cite web |title=Northern Gaza: MSF surgeon injured in Al-Awda hospital |url=https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/northern-gaza-msf-surgeon-injured-in-al-awda-hospital/ |website=Doctors Without Borders |access-date=14 December 2023}} On 17 December, the hospital director stated they were running low on water, food, oxygen, and medications.{{cite web |title=Staff at Gaza's al-Awda Hospital in strong spirits amid 'severe siege', director says |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/staff-gazas-awda-hospital-high-spirits-amid-siege |website=The New Arab |access-date=19 December 2023}} On December 19, reports emerged that Israeli forces have converted the hospital into their own 'military barracks'. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 240 Palestinians, including staff and patients, are being held inside.{{Cite web |title=Israeli army has turned Al-Awda Hospital into ‘military barracks’: Gaza-based Health Ministry |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-has-turned-al-awda-hospital-into-military-barracks-gaza-based-health-ministry/3086724 |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=www.aa.com.tr}}
Doctors Without Borders reported Israeli troops seized Al Awda, with troops stripping, bounding, and interrogating all men and boys over the age of sixteen.{{cite web |title=Israeli forces taken control of al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza, says MSF |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/dec/19/israel-gaza-war-live-updates-hamas-ceasefire-un-security-council-usa-veto?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-6581e0418f08de6aa110033d#block-6581e0418f08de6aa110033d |website=The Guardian |access-date=20 December 2023}} Soldiers continued holding the hospital{{cite web |last1=Jobain |first1=Najib |last2=Magdy |first2=Samy |title=Israeli airstrikes kill dozens more Palestinians across the Gaza Strip |url=https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2023-12-19/israel-airstrikes-gaza-dozens-killed-12412721.html#:~:text=Israeli%20troops%20seized%20northern%20Gaza%27s,the%20group%27s%20staff%2C%20it%20said. |website=Stars and Stripes |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=20 December 2023}} and in its premises they arrested Adnan al-Bursh, head of orthopaedics at al-Shifa Hospital, later died in Israeli prison.[https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cer3740ddj3o Palestinian doctor dies in Israeli prison, BBC news, 3 May 2024].
=May 2024 attack=
In May 2024, the World Health Organization issued an alert for the hospital, with chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stating, "Medical staff inside the hospital reported an attack on 20 May, with snipers aiming at the building and an artillery rocket hitting the fifth floor".{{cite web |title=Gaza: WHO chief calls for end to latest hospital siege |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/05/1150016 |website=UN News |access-date=25 May 2024}} According to an Al-Awda doctor, medical staff were forced to leave the hospital the following day.{{cite web |title=Doctor recounts being displaced from al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/22/israels-war-on-gaza-live-famine-fears-rise-as-aid-failure-escalates?update=2919303 |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=30 May 2024}} Doctors Without Borders stated that after a four day siege, the hospital was "being forced to close".{{cite web |title=MSF sounds alarm on situation at al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/23/israels-war-on-gaza-live-news-full-scale-rafah-invasion-appears-imminent?update=2921327 |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=1 June 2024}} When Israeli forces stormed the hospital on 23 May, Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "WHO urgently calls for the protection of patients, companions and health workers inside the hospital and safe passage for their evacuation".{{cite web |title=WHO chief makes ‘urgent’ appeal as Israeli forces storm Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/23/israels-war-on-gaza-live-news-full-scale-rafah-invasion-appears-imminent?update=2919725 |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=1 June 2024}}