Israeli Attack in Gaza: Director of Indonesian Hospital Killed, the Zionist military of the medical personnel

In Israel’s latest attack in Gaza, Dr. Marwan Al Sultan, Director of the Indonesian Hospital, was killed with his family, adding a long list of lives among medical personnel. This news came when the medical situation in Gaza was very critical, with hospitals overwhelmed by the number of civilian casualties that continued to increase due to attacks that increased since May 2023.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Dr. Marwan, known as a figure full of compassion and dedication in caring for patients, especially in difficult times due to sustainable aggression. He is not only a prominent heart doctor but also a symbol of medical treatment in an area that has a slump. This loss has a serious impact, especially for thousands of heart patients who are very dependent on him.

The Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) organization reports that Dr. Marwan is the 70th health worker who died in the last two months due to Israeli attacks. MUnth Alser, Director of HWW, explained that his death was “a great loss that is terrible for Gaza and the entire medical community,” highlighting the need for protection for medical personnel in conflict situations.

A few days before his death, Dr. Marwan was interviewed by the media, where he described the critical condition of the hospital he led. He and his staff struggled hard to take care of civilian casualties, while at the same time, they also faced a direct threat from Israel’s aggression. He often called for the international community to ensure the safety of medical personnel, urged that global attention be focused on the security of health workers who are increasingly threatened.

The situation is increasingly alarming, where Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia, Director of Al-Shifa Hospital, revealed how hard this loss was. He stated, “He cannot be replaced,” emphasized that there were only a few heart experts left in Gaza. This shows how urgent the need for medical personnel in the midst of a prolonged crisis.

Reports from HWW show that during the last 50 days, not only Dr. Marwan is killed, but also many other medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, and medical graduates. On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, nine health workers were reported killed in the same attack, which showed the continuousness and danger faced by those who work on the front lines.

From the UN report, more than 1,400 health workers have lost their lives since the start of a massive conflict in October 2023. This attack further added to a long list of medical facilities that were destroyed and non-functioning. The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) even recorded severe damage experienced by the Indonesian Hospital due to previous attacks, indicating how vulnerable the health system was in the region.

This dark condition makes many parties call for firm action from the international community. Fares Afana, who led the ambulance service in northern Gaza, expressed his anger and sadness over the fate of the target health workers. “If there is a reaction from the world when health workers are first targeted, maybe this attack will not occur as much now,” he said hopefully.

With an increasingly worrying situation, medical personnel in Gaza struggled not only to save lives, but also to survive amid continuous threats. The attack targeting them shows that the need for more attention from the world of violations of human rights and the protection of medical personnel in the conflict zone. Concrete action from the international community is needed to end this cycle of violence and protect those who fight for the health and safety of humanity.