The director of Gaza’s health ministry has condemned an Israeli airstrike that hit Al-Ahli Hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday, forcing the evacuation of patients and reportedly resulting in one death due to disrupted care.
According to Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, the scene was “terrifying” as injured patients were rushed out of the hospital beds into the streets under the cover of night. “They slept in the streets yesterday,” he said.
The hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital and operated by the Diocese of Jerusalem, was struck on Palm Sunday, a sacred day in the Christian calendar, amid escalating Israeli military operations.
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a Hamas command and control center allegedly operating within the hospital grounds, claiming it had issued evacuation warnings and used precision-guided munitions. However, no independent evidence was provided to support the claim.
Hospital director Dr. Fadel Naim confirmed the facility had been warned before the attack.
The emergency room, pharmacy, outpatient wing, laboratories, and surrounding buildings were severely damaged, affecting over 100 patients and dozens of staff.
Just hours later, a separate Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah reportedly killed seven people, including six brothers and a friend, according to medical sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Israel has ramped up its operations across Gaza, completing the Morag corridor to isolate Rafah in the south, and warned civilians to evacuate so-called “fighting zones.”
Officials say this is part of pressure tactics on Hamas to release 59 remaining hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
The conflict, now in its 18th month, was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of 250 hostages.
Since then, over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, with more than half reported to be women and children.
Israel’s military actions, particularly targeting hospitals, have drawn international scrutiny, as hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law.
