GAZA on the Brink—Director KILLED! 

When a beacon of hope is obliterated, what does it say about the violence tearing through Gaza and the future of its medical care?

At a Glance

  • Dr. Marwan Sultan, the Director of the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
  • The strike reportedly hit his apartment, also killing several members of his family.
  • Dr. Sultan was a respected medical leader who had refused to abandon his post at one of the last functioning hospitals in the region.
  • Aid groups claim over 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began.

A Dedicated Doctor Killed at Home

Dr. Marwan Sultan, the Director of the Indonesian Hospital and one of the most senior medical figures left in northern Gaza, was killed on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in an Israeli airstrike on his apartment, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. Several of his family members were also reported killed in the strike.

Colleagues described Dr. Sultan as a dedicated leader who had refused to leave his post since the conflict began, working tirelessly to provide care under the most dire circumstances. “Gaza lost a great man and doctor,” his colleague Issam Nabhan told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “He never left the hospital for one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance.”

A Healthcare System on the Brink

The death of Dr. Sultan is a devastating blow to a healthcare system that is already on the brink of total collapse. The Indonesian Hospital was one of the largest and last partially functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza. According to the World Health Organization, only 20 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain even partially operational.

The constant targeting of medical infrastructure has been a defining feature of the conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have repeatedly stated that their operations target Hamas militants, who they accuse of using hospitals and other civilian sites as shields and command centers. The IDF has said it is looking into the reports of the strike that killed Dr. Sultan.

A Pattern of Attacks on Medical Staff

Humanitarian organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have accused Israel of systematically targeting medical personnel. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, as reported by the BBC, over 1,500 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.

“The Israeli [military] is targeting medical figures,” Munir Al-Barash, the Director-General of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said in a statement. The killing of one of the region’s most prominent hospital directors will only intensify the international debate over the protection of medical workers in conflict zones.

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