Israeli Airstrike Hits Hospital in Gaza as Conflict Intensifies

 Israeli Airstrike Hits Hospital in Gaza as Conflict Intensifies

Gaza’s Civil Defense agency has reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted a hospital early Sunday, following the capture of a corridor by Israeli forces in the conflict-ridden Palestinian territory. The strike resulted in partial damage to the hospital, as Israel seems ready to escalate its military actions. This information has been corroborated by AFP from Gaza City.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties. The Israeli military informed AFP that it is currently looking into the incident.

As per Gaza’s Civil Defense, which operates under the administration of Hamas, the Israeli Air Force struck a building within Al-Ahli Hospital—also referred to as the Baptist or Ahli Arab Hospital—shortly after midnight.

The agency released a statement indicating that the Israeli military had warned patients, the injured, and their caregivers to evacuate the facility just moments before the airstrike occurred. “The bombing resulted in the destruction of the surgical unit and the oxygen production facility of the intensive care department,” the statement noted.

Since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, hospitals in the Gaza Strip—protected by international humanitarian law—have frequently been targeted by Israeli forces.

The Israeli military has accused Hamas of constructing tunnels beneath hospitals and utilizing medical facilities as command centers for planning and executing operations against Israeli troops. Hamas has consistently refuted these claims.

Al-Ahli Hospital had previously suffered significant damage from an explosion in its parking area on October 17, 2023, which led to numerous casualties.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamas’s press office asserted that since the conflict began, Israeli forces have subjected Gaza’s hospitals—including Al-Ahli—to “bombings, arson, destruction,” rendering them “non-functional.”

According to the World Health Organization, as of March 28, only 22 out of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remained partially operational.

On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that following the collapse of the ceasefire on March 18, a minimum of 1,563 Palestinians have lost their lives. Consequently, the overall death toll since the onset of the conflict has reached 50,933.