Amir Abu Musa was on his way to a wedding with his family when he was injured by shrapnel from a nearby explosion.

The 13-year-old, who has been displaced within Gaza, was transferred for treatment to the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah, which after serving communities for 24 months has recently undergone a major upgrade.

“I can’t go to school anymore and I don’t get to see my friends. I hope to recover and go back to being healthy, even better than before,” he tells us from a ward at the hospital.

“We hope to live in safety, without rockets, without anything like that, to play with our friends, go to the mosque, go to school, and raise birds, because these things aren’t available.”

The Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah was meant to be temporary. Designed to last six to 12 months, it has now been operating for two years – out of necessity.

Located in the far south of Gaza, with few alternative safe or sustainable healthcare solutions in sight, its existence remains essential for communities displaced by the conflict. It needs to continue.

The field hospital has facilitated more than 11,300 surgeries, 250,000 consultations, the delivery of more than 1,200 newborns, 19,200 physiotherapy sessions and at least 1,500 blood transfusions.

If that seems like a lot, it’s still not enough. Health needs outstrip the ability to meet them. More medical items and equipment need to be able to enter Gaza and made accessible to all communities.

On Thursday 7 May – after months of negotiations – 25 trucks carrying replacement parts and medical consumables for the hospital were able to enter Gaza, helping extend its lifespan for up to two years more.

The hospital is a partnership together with 16 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies from around the world – with the Norwegian Red Cross playing a leading role – contributing staff, expertise and equipment.

“We’re here to fulfil a role, a fundamental role,” says Turkya Abu Krayyem, a psychologist with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) who works with patients and their families at the field hospital.

“As a specialist, I sometimes think about how [patients who are amputee children] will move forward with their futures. So, when we’re working with these children, we’re rehabilitating them psychologically, even though the physical injury is gone. But through psychology, we can continue the journey, and give some hope in life.”

Even now, months after the ceasefire, the sound of gunfire and explosions are still heard every day from the hospital. Across Gaza, health workers continue to put their lives at risk to help others.

“You could be in danger or get bombed, or you might get hurt in the fighting because, you know, these things happen. If there’s gunfire at the hospital, you could get injured,” Turkya tells us.

“My kids understand this, so every day they call when I’m at the hospital. ‘Mum, how are you? Are you okay?’ I tell them ‘I’m fine’. They don’t sleep until we see each other and hug each other, just to make sure we’re all okay. We’re used to difficulties and challenges… so we try as much as we can to focus on security and safety,” she says.

Dr Bhavna Chawla is a surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at the field hospital. She’s been on six placements there since it opened in May 2024.

“This is a place which is very, very special to me. It is something that restored my faith in war surgery, in field hospitals and how much we can do with little, even if we are at the frontline,” Chawla says.

“We’ve been through times where we’ve had shrapnel and stray shots pass over the hospital, entering the tents where we work, entering the wards at times. But the teams have remained strong and constantly worked,” she says.

“Somehow when you are in the [operating theatre] everything else kind of becomes this white noise that you don’t pay attention to, when you just stay focused on what you are doing. And I don’t think you would have it any other way.”

The Red Cross Field Hospital is part of a collective effort, a system of hospitals and health facilities across Gaza that continue to serve communities despite immense pressure and scarce resources.

Under international humanitarian law, medical personnel, units and transports must be respected and protected. All feasible steps must be taken to support their work and ensure their safety.

The parties to the conflict have an obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law.