OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — An Israeli airstrike hit the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City early Sunday, damaging key medical infrastructure and forcing the facility to shut down, according to Palestinian medical sources and eyewitnesses.
The strike struck the hospital’s surgical operations department and an oxygen generation unit, inflicting severe damage across multiple sections of the facility.
“The two targeted departments were destroyed, and the hospital can no longer operate,” the staff member said, adding that the facility had been sheltering patients, injured civilians, and hundreds of displaced residents before the strike.
Munir al-Barsh, director general of Health Services in Gaza, described a chaotic evacuation conducted under ongoing bombardment.
He said a child being moved from the premises died during the process.
Witnesses reported that the evacuation took place amid smoke, fire, and falling debris.
The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza condemned the strike, calling it a “war crime” and accusing Israel and the US of bearing responsibility.
It claimed the attack was part of a broader campaign against Gaza’s healthcare sector.
Local health authorities also appealed to international organisations to safeguard medical facilities and personnel.
Meanwhile, the health authorities in Gaza reported on Sunday that the Palestinian death toll since the start of the conflict on October 7, 2023, has reached 50,944, with 116,156 wounded.
They noted 11 deaths and 111 injuries in the past 24 hours, adding that rescue efforts continue to be hampered by ongoing hostilities. –With inputs from IANS
