Al-Ahli Baptist hospital following Israeli air strike in Gaza City. Image: ANSA
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep alarm over Israel’s recent strike on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, as international condemnation grows over the attack on the historic medical facility.
Two Israeli missiles hit the major Gaza hospital on Sunday, putting the emergency department out of action and damaging other structures, according to Reuters. Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital evacuated patients after receiving a phone call from someone who identified himself as Israeli security shortly before the attack.
“Under international humanitarian law, wounded and sick, medical personnel and medical facilities, including hospitals, must be respected and protected,” the UN chief’s spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. The airstrike dealt “a severe blow to an already devastated healthcare system in the Strip,” adding there was strong concern that medical supplies are running low as well as food and water.
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Historic Hospital Served Gaza for Over a Century
Pastor, activist, and social worker Nigel Branken condemned the airstrike in an interview with Salaamedia, emphasizing the historic and sacred nature of the facility.
“It’s not just a medical facility; it was a sacred space, like all of the hospitals. It used to be run by the Baptist Church and it was handed over to the Anglican Church a few years back. It served the people of Gaza for over a century – Christians, Muslims, Jews. The bombing of a place of healing is not only a war crime. It’s a moral desecration. Just when we think that our morality can’t get any worse, Israel does this,” Branken stated.
Israel Claims Hamas Fighters Were Target
Israel said the airstrike was aimed at Hamas fighters, according to Reuters. The Israeli military has frequently claimed that Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, allegations that hospital staff have consistently denied.
AP News reported that images show the outpatient and laboratory wards of the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist hospital after being hit by the Israeli strike, following a warning issued by the army to evacuate patients.
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Pattern of Attacks on Medical Facilities
This incident follows a troubling pattern of attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza. On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Mawasi area, wounding at least 10 medics, according to The New Arab.
“There’s absolute impunity. This backing by Donald Trump is very scary for the world. The complete breakdown of international law, the complete breakdown of our ability to stop it, is dangerous,” Branken added.
The strikes come as Hamas announced it was sending a delegation to Qatar to continue indirect ceasefire talks with Israel. According to AP News, a Hamas official said teams have been discussing terms for a new ceasefire agreement over recent days in Cairo.
Since the previous ceasefire collapsed last month, Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza. The United Nations humanitarian office warned on Monday that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now likely to be “the worst” since October 2023.
“No fuel has come in, no food has come in, no medicine has come in,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation facing Gaza’s civilian population.
