Gaza Hospital Targeted by Israeli Missiles in Alleged Hamas Strike Zone
- International Affairs Israel Middle East Palestine
Shreya Naskar- 0
- 4 minutes read
On Sunday, a new wave of violence shook the Gaza Strip as two Israeli missiles struck the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in central Gaza. The attack destroyed the hospital’s emergency and reception department and caused significant structural damage to other parts of the facility. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, as the hospital had been evacuated shortly before the strike took place. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted Hamas militants who were allegedly using the hospital as a base to plan attacks. This incident is the latest in a series of contentious strikes on medical facilities in Gaza, reflecting the deep complexities and humanitarian concerns surrounding the ongoing war. According to hospital officials and civil emergency services, the missile strike caused widespread damage to the Al-Ahli hospital complex. The emergency and reception areas were destroyed, and several nearby structures sustained damage from the blast. However, no patients or medical personnel were injured or killed in the strike. Hospital staff reported that they had been able to evacuate the facility after a man, claiming to be affiliated with the Israeli security services, warned them about the impending attack. While the physical damage was severe, medical personnel and civil responders expressed relief that the early evacuation had averted a human tragedy. “We were lucky to have moved the patients out in time,” said a medical officer who spoke anonymously.
The Israeli military issued a statement defending the operation, stating that the facility had been exploited by Hamas fighters to coordinate attacks. The military claimed it had taken measures to minimize civilian harm, including issuing warnings before the strike. Israel has long accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure—including hospitals, schools, and mosques—as shields for their military operations. This claim is strongly contested by Palestinian authorities and humanitarian organizations. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated, “Hamas continues to embed its operations within civilian settings, using hospitals as cover. Such actions violate international law and place innocent lives at risk.” However, Hamas has denied these accusations, stating that it does not use hospitals or other civilian facilities for military purposes. This is not the first time the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital has found itself at the centre of conflict. In October 2023, a blast at a parking lot within the hospital compound killed numerous people. The incident was initially blamed by Hamas on an Israeli airstrike. However, Israel denied responsibility, claiming the explosion resulted from a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. A subsequent investigation by Human Rights Watch supported Israel’s version of events, stating that the evidence pointed toward a misfired Palestinian rocket. That incident triggered global outrage and intensified scrutiny of military activities near healthcare centres in the region. The latest strike only deepens concerns about the safety of medical facilities in war zones. While the hospital strike resulted in no reported injuries, violence across Gaza on the same day led to further deaths. According to Hamas media, the head of a police station in Khan Younis was killed in a separate Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza. Meanwhile, WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency, reported that at least eight additional people, including a woman, were killed in northern Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on these specific strikes. These attacks reflect the relentless pace of violence as the conflict between Israel and Hamas designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and other countries, shows no sign of abating.
The war was triggered by a surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in southern Israel and the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. The attack marked one of the deadliest assaults in Israel’s history and prompted a full-scale military offensive in Gaza. Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health authorities. While Israel claims to be targeting militants, human rights groups have raised alarm about the overwhelming number of civilian casualties, particularly women and children. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Much of the territory has been reduced to rubble. Basic infrastructure, including hospitals, water supplies, and power stations, has been decimated. Over 1.7 million people, or nearly 80% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced from their homes. International organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly called for ceasefires and humanitarian corridors, but progress has been limited. Aid deliveries are frequently delayed or blocked due to security concerns and border closures.
