WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum has donated $200 million to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, the largest single private gift in Israel’s healthcare history, funding a new inpatient tower that will triple the hospital’s capacity to over 2,000 beds.
The Koum Family Foundation’s contribution includes staff housing and advanced emergency facilities, with the hospital set to be renamed in his honor amid plans advancing through Jerusalem authorities.
Hospital leaders celebrated the pledge as a transformative boost for medical services serving Jerusalem and surrounding areas, positioning Shaare Zedek as a regional healthcare leader. The expansion addresses rising demands in Israel’s capital, where population growth has strained existing infrastructure.
In stark contrast, Gaza’s healthcare system has collapsed with 94% of its 36 hospitals damaged or destroyed by Israeli military actions, leaving only a handful partially operational amid critical shortages. Northern Gaza has no operational hospitals left, forcing patients to travel miles on foot amid destroyed ambulances and chronic medicine shortages, highlighting a profound disparity in medical investment and access.
