Israeli Airstrike Targets Last Functional Hospital in Gaza City

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike early Sunday destroyed part of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the last fully functioning hospital in Gaza City, as the military escalates its operations in the war-torn region.

No casualties were reported from the strike, but the Anglican Church in Jerusalem, which administers the hospital, stated that a boy with a head injury died during the hurried evacuation of patients. This incident occurred after the hospital received only 20 minutes of warning before the attack, forcing staff to take patients to the streets.

Significant damage was reported to the emergency room and reception area of the hospital, and the adjoining St. Philip’s Church also suffered damage, according to video footage shared with CNN.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike targeted a “command-and-control center used by Hamas” but did not provide evidence supporting this allegation. The military asserted that precautions had been taken to minimize potential civilian harm, a claim Hamas denied, stating that the facility was not involved in any military operations.

As the Israeli military intensifies ground operations in Gaza, they have created a substantial separation between civilian areas in the Strip and Israeli territory. The military reported it had seized the Morag corridor, effectively isolating Rafah from the rest of Gaza.

The United Nations reported that approximately 400,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in the past three weeks, with hospitals serving as critical shelters during the ongoing conflict. “We expected that we would all die inside the hospital,” said Mohammed Abu Naser, a patient who was present during the strike. “I have no treatment or anything right now. We have no option but to travel abroad for treatment.”

The Al-Ahli hospital has temporarily closed and directed patients to three other hospitals, as indicated by the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemned the airstrike, noting it marked the fifth time the hospital had been attacked since October 2023.

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that they had requests to send medical missions to Al-Ahli and the Indonesian hospital denied by Israeli authorities. In a post on social media, the WHO stated that hospitals in Gaza face dire shortages, with humanitarian access continuously being restricted.

Dr. Samer Attar, an American doctor volunteering at Al-Ahli Hospital, described the situation as desperate. “The people here are exhausted, they’re hungry, they’re tired, they’re wounded, not just physically but also psychically,” he said.

Video evidence captured some of the aftermath of an airstrike on a building in Deir al-Balah within central Gaza Sunday, which the IDF also claimed was a Hamas control center. Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that three bodies had been received after this strike. The IDF also stated that a vehicle strike had resulted in seven fatalities in the same vicinity, including six brothers.

The ongoing Israeli campaign aims to compel Hamas to release the hostages they are holding. Among the captives, American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump in a recently released proof-of-life video.

In the video, Alexander, who has been held for 551 days, expressed belief that Trump would succeed in securing his release. This footage was circulated just before the Jewish holiday of Passover. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum requested that Jewish families leave empty seats at their Passover tables for the hostages.

As the situation continues to deteriorate, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more acute, raising concerns among international observers over the impact of such military actions on the civilian population.