Doctor and family members die in hospital director’s home; UN warns no hospitals remain in north Gaza
GAZA — Dr. Marwan Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, was killed in an Israeli air strike on his home Wednesday in Tal al-Hawa, Gaza City, along with his wife, two daughters and son-in-law, according to a relative.
Relative Ahmed Al‑Sultan told the media they heard a blast and later found the family “martyred” in their apartment. “I found Marwan, his wife, his daughters, and his son‑in‑law… all martyred,” he said.
The Hamas-run health ministry condemned the strike as a “heinous crime against our medical cadres.” It praised Dr. Sultan’s dedication under extreme conditions, describing him as a “symbol of dedication, steadfastness and sincerity” throughout the war.
Dr. Sultan led a hospital that was declared out of service after repeated Israeli attacks and structural damage, according to United Nations assessments. The UN also reports that no hospitals currently function in northern Gaza.
Israel’s military said the strike targeted a “key terrorist” but acknowledged potential harm to innocents is under review.
The military claimed Hamas uses civilian infrastructure and Gaza residents as shields, but relatives contest this. Dr. Sultan’s daughter, Lubna al‑Sultan, said a missile struck exactly where he slept. “All rooms were intact except his room, which was hit you could see that directly on him,” she told the Associated Press. She added that he “just fears for the patients he treats, throughout the war.”
On the same day, a strike in al-Mawasi, a zone declared safe by Israel, killed at least five people, including children, and injured others. Survivors said the explosion hit in the early hours. “It shook the place like an earthquake,” Tamam Abu Rizq told media, adding she emerged to find the tent ablaze.
The UN says around 80% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or within active military zones. Maha Abu Rizq, who lost relatives, questioned the notion of safe zones: “They came here thinking it was a safe area… What did they do?”
In the 24 hours leading up to midday Wednesday, Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 139 fatalities from Israeli operations.
Photos from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis show distraught families and injured children. One grieving woman urged action: “Anyone of any religion must take action and say: Enough! Stop this war!”
The Gaza offensive followed a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 57,000 deaths, including over 15,000 children.
The media contacted the Israel Defense Forces for comment on both the hospital director’s strike and the al-Mawasi attack.
