Condemnation of the Killing of Dr. Marwan Sultan by Women Journalists Without Chains

Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC) condemned the crime that resulted in the killing of Palestinian doctor Marwan Sultan, director of the Indonesian hospital in Gaza.

The organization affirmed that this deliberate targeting comes in the context of the Israeli occupation authorities escalating acts of extermination that threaten the Palestinian existence and aim to eradicate it through announced and dangerous measures that undermine international law.

The organization stated that the Israeli occupation forces are targeting Palestinian civilians amidst what remains of their residential gatherings, shelters, roads, and sales stalls, as well as among those waiting for assistance. According to the latest statistical reports from the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, on July 3, the number of civilians killed by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has risen to 57,130. Many victims remain under the rubble and on the roads, unreachable by rescue and civil defense teams.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health in Gaza on July 2, Dr. Sultan was martyred along with several family members due to shelling that targeted his home in western Gaza City. The statement added, “Every crime against medical and humanitarian teams confirms the systematic approach and premeditated intent to directly and deliberately target them,” asserting that Sultan was “a symbol of dedication, resilience, and loyalty during the most difficult circumstances faced by our people under continuous aggression.”

Women Journalists Without Chains noted that this crime is an extension of the Israeli policy aimed at eliminating what remains of the medical and humanitarian system. The organization explained that direct attacks on civilians, coupled with a catastrophic humanitarian situation due to the spread of epidemics and the rising number of injuries, coincide with targeting the remaining facilities that provide partial life-saving services and their providers, with the aim of increasing fatalities and forcing those who remain alive into forced displacement, which constitutes the foundations of genocide according to the Genocide Convention.

Terrifying Escalation

Women Journalists Without Chains warned of the international silence and the international positions that grant the occupation authorities space to wear a false mask and show some flexibility that sedates global public opinion with statements for media consumption while the occupation forces continue to escalate their horrific acts of extermination on the ground in Gaza.

Examples of the crimes escalated by the Israeli occupation forces since last Saturday include:

• On Saturday, June 28, Israeli warplanes launched a series of violent and concentrated airstrikes on densely populated residential areas in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries. On the same day, warplanes dropped wide-impact bombs on the tents of displaced persons near the Sacred Family School in the Al-Rimal neighborhood, burying several displaced persons with their tents under the sand, including 11 members of the Abu Amsha family, nine of whom were women and children.
• On Sunday, June 29, according to the Ministry of Health, 88 bodies were received by hospitals in Gaza.
• On Monday, June 30, Israeli warplanes bombed the Al-Baqa resort in western Gaza City, which is frequented by civilians, resulting in the deaths of 33 citizens, including journalist Ismail Abu Hatab, with dozens injured.
• On Tuesday, July 1, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that hospitals received 116 bodies.
• On Wednesday, July 2, the Ministry of Health reported that hospitals in Gaza received 142 bodies, including 39 from those killed while waiting for assistance.
• On Thursday, the number of civilian martyrs received by hospitals in the Gaza Strip reached 118, including 12 bodies from those killed in assistance queues, bringing the total number described by the Ministry of Health as “martyrs of a livelihood” to 652, with more than 4,537 injuries since the distribution of aid began on May 27.

Catastrophic Situation

This escalation occurs amidst catastrophic conditions in Gaza, especially with the continued targeting of the health system, as Israeli occupation forces prevent the entry of fuel, medicines, and medical supplies to what remains of the hospitals in the sector. Women Journalists Without Chains highlighted the targeting of medical staff, especially hospital directors, stating that it is a disgrace for Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, to remain imprisoned in Israeli occupation cells, subjected to physical and psychological torture since last December.

The health system has been a direct target of occupation attacks from the very beginning of the war, with more than 94% of hospitals targeted in direct attacks, and over 80% of health facilities have gone out of service. The occupation forces have destroyed 180 ambulances and killed approximately 1,582 health workers, including doctors in rare specialties.

Women Journalists Without Chains pointed out that what remains of the main hospitals providing essential services has announced the emergency suspension of some departments, endangering sick and injured civilians, which Israel aims to achieve. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced the complete cessation of dialysis services at the Shifa Medical Complex due to fuel shortages. It is worth noting that 472 patients with kidney failure out of 1,200 have died since October 2023.

Since March 2025, Israeli forces have launched dozens of additional attacks on the remaining deteriorating health sector, including attacks targeting the Arab Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex, the European Hospital, and others, rendering them out of service, in addition to demolishing the Noura Al-Kaabi Dialysis Center, the only center in northern Gaza.

Spread of Diseases

Women Journalists Without Chains warned of the escalating impacts resulting from the systematic Israeli targeting of the health system in Gaza. They stated that the catastrophic situation in the sector portends the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases among civilians, in addition to patients being unable to access life-saving medications, such as cancer and kidney failure patients, while displaced persons congregate in areas lacking the most basic life essentials.

Due to the starvation policy imposed by the occupation authorities and the prevention of food and medical aid, diseases are spreading among tens of thousands, particularly among children and pregnant women, in addition to the injured, whose numbers exceed 134,592.

In recent days, cases of meningitis have surged. According to Dr. Ragheb Warsha Agha, head of the pediatrics department at Al-Nasr and Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza, the hospital is witnessing a daily increase in the number of cases of meningitis, especially among children, amid a severe shortage of clean water and personal hygiene supplies, raising the likelihood of disease and epidemic spread in overcrowded shelters lacking public health conditions. The Ministry of Health reported that the Nasser Medical Complex alone documented 39 cases of meningitis among children in recent days, the highest number recorded since the onset of the extermination war.

On June 26, Women Journalists Without Chains released a report after 100 days of resumed extermination operations, titled “The Land and Everything on It: 100 Days of Fragmentation and Erasure in Gaza.” The report stated that the war waged by Israel on Gaza has caused one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century, with more than 100,000 tons of explosives dropped on Gaza since October 7, 2023, destroying about 92% of homes and nearly 90% of the infrastructure of the sector.

Violation of International Law

Israeli actions in Gaza constitute grave violations of international law, which mandates the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Under international humanitarian law, facilities such as hospitals and health centers enjoy special legal protection and must not be targeted. However, the occupying authorities have carried out direct attacks that flagrantly breach the principles of distinction and proportionality, resulting in the deaths of civilians through indiscriminate strikes.

International law prohibits the bombing of residential areas and public service facilities without a clear and direct military necessity. Even when a military objective exists, any collateral damage must not be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage. In Gaza, the scale of destruction far exceeds any plausible claim of military necessity.

The deliberate targeting of essential infrastructure—particularly the health sector—appears aimed at intensifying the siege and forcibly displacing the population. These acts, marked by a clear intent to cause physical destruction, may amount to acts of genocide as defined in Article 2 of the Genocide Convention.

Call to Action

Women Journalists Without Chains demands the following:

• Serious positions with a real impact that compel the Israeli occupation to immediately stop genocidal crimes in Gaza.
• Urgent condemnation of these violations and documentation to ensure that all those responsible for committing acts of genocide are brought to justice and held accountable.
• Influential countries on the occupation authorities to pressure Israel to allow the safe passage of sufficient essential materials for reconstruction and the repair of residential units and civil facilities, including hospitals.
• Immediate entry of essential humanitarian food and medical aid into Gaza, away from the aid distribution mechanism applied by the occupation authorities, which has turned distribution areas into traps for the extermination of Palestinians.