Egypt Daily News – Israel has carried out an airstrike early Sunday morning and bombed the surgical operations department and the medical oxygen generation station at the Baptist (Al-Ahli) Hospital in central Gaza City. The strike destroyed large parts of the hospital, according to eyewitnesses, medical sources, and local government officials.
The Israeli military stated that it had attacked a hospital in Gaza which it claimed was being used as a Hamas command and control center. Following Palestinian reports, the Israeli army spokesperson confirmed that the military and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) had struck Al-Ahli (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza City last night, where a Hamas-operated command and control center was allegedly located. He added that “precision weapons and aerial surveillance” were used in the attack.
Eyewitnesses and medical sources at the hospital said that the Israeli army “targeted the surgical operations department and the oxygen generation facility at the Baptist Hospital, leading to the destruction of large parts of the hospital.” Medical officials at the hospital reported that the airstrike caused severe physical damage to other hospital buildings, which were sheltering patients, the wounded, and displaced individuals.
The Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Munir Al-Bursh, stated, “The situation is now catastrophic and indescribable,” adding, “We, along with the wounded and the patients, are in the streets. The bombing hasn’t stopped, and the airstrikes are ongoing.” He mentioned that a wounded child who was being transported on a hospital bed died due to the movement and intense pain.
The Baptist Hospital is one of the oldest medical institutions in the Gaza Strip and provides surgical services to residents of Gaza City and the northern areas, according to the statement.
The airstrike comes at a time when Gaza’s health sector is facing near-total collapse due to ongoing Israeli attacks and a severe shortage of medical supplies and fuel. According to official data, 34 hospitals have gone out of service since the beginning of the war.
In the latest casualty figures, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the death toll from Israeli military operations has reached 50,933 people, with 116,045 wounded since October 7, 2023.
