NextFin news, On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Israeli military forces destroyed the Palestinian Medical Relief Society's (PMRS) main health center in Gaza City, located in the Samer neighborhood, after ordering its evacuation earlier that day. The six-story building was reduced to rubble, according to PMRS officials.
The health center was a critical facility providing blood donation and laboratory testing services, trauma and emergency care, distribution of cancer medicines, and treatment for chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Its destruction further debilitates Gaza City's already strained healthcare system amid ongoing hostilities and shortages of essential supplies.
PMRS also reported that two other health centers affiliated with the charity were affected: one severely damaged and surrounded by Israeli ground troops, and another completely destroyed in a separate airstrike. These incidents compound the collapse of medical infrastructure in Gaza, where several hospitals, including the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and the Specialized Eye Hospital, have been forced to shut down due to nearby Israeli military operations.
The Israeli military has not issued an immediate statement regarding the specific strike on the PMRS center. Israel has previously stated that Hamas militants use civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, for military purposes, which could negate their protected status under international law. However, critics and human rights organizations have noted the lack of publicly verifiable evidence supporting such claims.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which has partnered with PMRS to deliver medical aid, condemned the attack. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an end to attacks on health facilities and urged a ceasefire, emphasizing the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza.
On the same day, Israel announced the complete closure of the Allenby Bridge Crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan following a recent attack that killed two Israelis. This crossing is a key route for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
The destruction of the health center occurs amid Israel's ongoing large-scale offensive in Gaza City, aimed at pressuring Hamas to surrender and secure the release of hostages taken during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack. The offensive has devastated Gaza City, with widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and a humanitarian crisis marked by famine, displacement, and collapsing public services.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 65,382 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, with many casualties among civilians. The ministry's figures are considered the most reliable estimates despite limited independent verification due to restricted access.
International calls have intensified for Israel to protect civilian infrastructure, restore medical corridors, and allow humanitarian access to Gaza. A joint statement by 24 countries, including Canada, France, and Germany, urged Israel to facilitate medical treatment for Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to ease restrictions on medical supplies entering Gaza.
The ongoing destruction of medical facilities in Gaza has raised concerns among human rights experts and international organizations about potential violations of international humanitarian law and the classification of such acts as war crimes.
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