In a devastating turn of events, an Israeli air strike has struck the al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, marking the destruction of a vital medical facility. Witnesses reported significant damage to the hospital's intensive care and surgery units, capturing the chaos on video as thick smoke and flames engulfed a two-storey building. Patients and hospital staff were seen frantically evacuating, fleeing the immediate danger following the attack.
Israeli Airstrike Hits Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Hits Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City Amid Escalating Conflict
An Israeli air strike severely damages the last functional hospital in Gaza City, raising concerns over healthcare access as violence escalates in the region.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike targeted a "command and control centre" allegedly operated by Hamas, yet no casualties were immediately reported by Gaza's civil emergency service. However, a tragic incident was confirmed; one child, previously injured, perished during the hurried evacuation, per a statement from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem—responsible for overseeing the hospital. Surrounding structures, including St Philip's church, also suffered damage.
Expressing their outrage, the diocese condemned the attack, which coincided with Palm Sunday, a significant date in the Christian calendar, emphasizing the moral implications of targeting medical facilities during a time of religious observance. Claims from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry stated that the hospital's operations have been halted, forcing the relocation of both patients and medical staff.
The IDF asserted it had undertaken measures to minimize civilian harm, including providing advance warnings and employing precision airstrikes. Allegations of brutality intensified when a local journalist revealed that the IDF ordered an immediate evacuation via a direct call to hospital staff, granting merely 20 minutes for all to flee.
Family accounts highlighted terror and urgency during the evacuation, especially from a father recounting how moments separated him and his severely injured daughters from an imminent disaster. Al Ahli Arab Hospital, described previously as a small medical facility, had become the only remaining operational hospital in Gaza City, following the crippled healthcare infrastructure due to prior conflicts.
Global health officials, including World Health Organization director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the hospital could no longer accept patients after the attack. He emphasized that international humanitarian laws protect such facilities, calling for an immediate cessation of attacks targeting healthcare.
The international community has echoed this sentiment, with UK Foreign Minister David Lammy labeling the assault as "deplorable," while Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell expressed his profound sorrow over the attack, particularly on a day of significant meaning for Christians.
The conflict has escalated since an unprecedented assault on October 7, 2023, which saw massive casualties and triggered ongoing retaliatory military actions from Israel. Ominously, recent reports indicate that more than 50,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza amid the heightened military offensive, with predictions of further intensification.
As the situation evolves, questions persist regarding the future of ceasefire negotiations and the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza.
Expressing their outrage, the diocese condemned the attack, which coincided with Palm Sunday, a significant date in the Christian calendar, emphasizing the moral implications of targeting medical facilities during a time of religious observance. Claims from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry stated that the hospital's operations have been halted, forcing the relocation of both patients and medical staff.
The IDF asserted it had undertaken measures to minimize civilian harm, including providing advance warnings and employing precision airstrikes. Allegations of brutality intensified when a local journalist revealed that the IDF ordered an immediate evacuation via a direct call to hospital staff, granting merely 20 minutes for all to flee.
Family accounts highlighted terror and urgency during the evacuation, especially from a father recounting how moments separated him and his severely injured daughters from an imminent disaster. Al Ahli Arab Hospital, described previously as a small medical facility, had become the only remaining operational hospital in Gaza City, following the crippled healthcare infrastructure due to prior conflicts.
Global health officials, including World Health Organization director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the hospital could no longer accept patients after the attack. He emphasized that international humanitarian laws protect such facilities, calling for an immediate cessation of attacks targeting healthcare.
The international community has echoed this sentiment, with UK Foreign Minister David Lammy labeling the assault as "deplorable," while Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell expressed his profound sorrow over the attack, particularly on a day of significant meaning for Christians.
The conflict has escalated since an unprecedented assault on October 7, 2023, which saw massive casualties and triggered ongoing retaliatory military actions from Israel. Ominously, recent reports indicate that more than 50,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza amid the heightened military offensive, with predictions of further intensification.
As the situation evolves, questions persist regarding the future of ceasefire negotiations and the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza.
