Yesterday morning, a group of medical students had gathered on the fifth floor of Al-Wafa Hospitalto sit their internal medicine exam. As they waited for the exam to start, the Israeli military targetedthe hospital. One of the medical students told Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) what happened:

“Suddenly a bomb hit the room next to us. The windows shattered on us and the smoke was suffocating, but thank God we were able to protect ourselves under the tables. The female students did not suffer any physical injuries, but one of my friends collapsed and she remained mute withshock for nearly half an hour, unable to respond to us. When we left the room, we found that [thedoctor teaching us] was bleeding from his head, and some of our male colleagues were also bleeding.

Then we evacuated the floor and went outside the hospital. The stairs were crowded as people were trying to evacuate the injured. We passed four martyrs shattered in pieces.

I don’t know how it came to my mind to open the phone and film what happened, but since I was still alive, I had to document what happened, even with a small video.”

Al-Wafa Hospital specialises in rehabilitating people with disabilities and was due to reopen in the next few days. It also serves as a teaching facility for medical students in North Gaza after the Israeli military destroyed their two only campuses and turned a teaching hospital into a military base.

Medical students in Gaza have been continuing with their studies despite the immensely challenging circumstances caused by Israel’s brutal military campaign. As of September 20, 2024, Israel killed at least 58 healthcare students and detained at least 12.

A recent study published in an international medical journal surveyed 339 medical students in Gaza and showed that all but four students had experienced forcible displacement, the killing of loved ones, or personal injury. The students also suffered high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) and other psychiatric consequences of war.

In defiance of Israel’s targeted attack on Al-Wafa Hospital, the medical students sat their exams today in a new venue!