The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday said its air strike destroyed Al Ahli Arab Hospital, the last fully functional hospital in Gaza City, claiming that it contained Hamas group’s command and control center.
In an X post, the IDF said: “The compound was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.”
“Despite the IDF repeatedly stating that military activity within medical facilities in Gaza must stop, Hamas continues to blatantly violate international law and abuse the civilian population,” the force said.
“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians or to the hospital compound, including issuing advanced warnings in the area of the terror infrastructure, the use of precise munitions, and aerial surveillance,” IDF said.
According to reports, no casualty was reported in the incident.
Witnesses told BBC that the strike destroyed the intensive care and surgery departments of the hospital.
Several videos of the airstrike are currently going viral online, which showed huge flames and thick smoke rising from the building.
Videos also showed patients, some lying on beds, being shifted from the hospital building.
Khalil Bakr told BBC Arabic’s Gaza Lifeline programme that he and his three injured daughters had fled the hospital with only a couple of minutes to spare before it was bombed.
“It was terrifying,” he said. “The whole situation was difficult because I have already been injured. And as for my three daughters, one had her leg amputated, the other had her hand amputated, and the third had her body full of platinum plates.”
He said, “Only two minutes separated us from death.”
Al Ahli Arab
Al Ahli Arab is a small medical facility in Gaza City which remained operational after the Al-Shifa medical complex was destroyed in the strip.
David Lammy
Reacting to the air strike on the medical facility, UK Foreign Minister David Lammy wrote on X: “Israel’s attacks on medical facilities have comprehensively degraded access to healthcare in Gaza.”
“Al-Ahli Hospital has been attacked repeatedly since the conflict began,” he said.
Calling the attacks ‘deplorable’, the Minister said such incidents must end.
“Diplomacy not more bloodshed is how we will achieve a lasting peace,” he said.
