Israeli Air Strike Hits Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City

Al-Ahli Hospital Strike

• 🎯 An Israeli air strike has destroyed parts of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the last functioning hospital in Gaza City.
• 💥 The strike hit the intensive care unit and surgery department, with reports of an oxygen plant being struck.
• ⚠️ A doctor received a 20-minute evacuation warning from the Israeli IDF before the strike.

Hospital's Functional Status

• 🏥 The hospital, which was sheltering hundreds of people, is now no longer functioning.
• 📉 Initial assessments indicated a two-story building was destroyed, but later reports confirmed severe damage to about six departments, including the complete destruction of the emergency and intensive care units.
• 🏙️ Gaza City, home to about 900,000 people, is now left without any medical facilities.

Conflicting Accounts

• 🇮🇱 Israel claims Hamas used the hospital compound to plan and execute terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.
• 🇵🇸 Hamas calls the strike a horrific crime and a war crime, stating that Gaza City is left without any medical facility.
• 📰 Local journalists reported not seeing significant military activity, only a small Hamas police unit operating from the southern door for security.
• ❓ Journalists are not allowed inside Gaza, making independent verification difficult.

Broader Context of the Conflict

• 🕊️ The Israeli military launched its campaign following an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
• 💔 Since October 7, over 50,933 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
• 🏥 This incident follows previous accusations and debates between Hamas and Israel regarding the use of medical facilities for military activities, with similar claims made about Shifa hospital.