‘Horrific crime’: Gaza doctor killed as Israel expands war on healthcare

An unprecedented surge in military strikes and mass detentions has crippled medical infrastructure, leaving millions across the occupied territory without care. In the early hours of Thursday, Dr Rizq Abu Shuaira was on duty in the surgery department of the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza. An Israeli strike hit the hospital , killing at least six people, including Abu Shuaira and a child.

Zaher al-Waheidi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, on Thursday called it “a horrific crime”, adding that Israel targeted the surgery department. He called Abu Shuaira’s killing a loss to the medical profession in the enclave that’s struggling to cope with the large-scale destruction of health facilities since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. “The world woke up to the crime of targeting the Nasser Medical Complex,” al-Waheidi said, adding that Abu Shuaira was “martyred while on duty providing services to patients”.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Gaza’s medical personnel and hospitals in the past three years, killing at least 1,725 medical workers.