An Israeli airstrike destroyed a four-storey building in Gaza City early on Sunday, killing Dr Ayman Abu al-Ouf, head of internal medicine at al-Shifa hospital, along with 12 members of his extended family. The doctor was buried under rubble for almost 12 hours, but was alive for five to six hours, according to a colleague.
Dr Abu al-Ouf, who oversaw the hospital's Covid-19 response, was described by friends as a dedicated physician and teacher. 'His death is a catastrophe,' said Dr Haya Agha, a doctor he trained. 'He took on the load of three or four doctors... we thought he was invincible.'
The Israeli military said it struck an underground Hamas military structure beneath the street, causing the collapse of civilian housing above. It said it was doing its utmost to avoid civilian casualties. Gaza's health ministry reports at least 227 people killed since hostilities began on 10 May, including 102 children and women.
Dr Abu al-Ouf's 15-year-old son Omar is the sole survivor of the attack, currently being treated for injuries and unaware his parents and siblings are dead. The family's home on al-Wahda street was levelled, with rescue efforts hampered by destroyed roads.
Gaza's healthcare system, already strained by Covid-19 and years of blockade, has suffered further damage. Six hospitals and 11 primary health centres have been hit, along with the territory's only Covid-19 testing lab. 'They are killing our human resources,' said Dr Ghaith al-Zaanin, a former colleague now in Canada.
