Israeli occupation bombs Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital

GAZA, April 13 (YPA) – In the early hours of Sunday morning, Israeli warplanes bombed the reception and emergency departments of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, rendering the facility completely out of service, the Palestinian official news agency reported, citing local sources.

According to local sources, two missiles struck the hospital’s main reception building, causing massive destruction and sparking fires in critical departments including emergency care, the laboratory, and the pharmacy.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli military had issued a direct threat to bomb the hospital shortly before the strike, giving patients, wounded individuals, and medical staff just 18 minutes to evacuate.

The forced eviction left many patients with no access to urgent care, as dozens were seen lying in the streets surrounding the hospital amid freezing weather conditions.

Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was a vital healthcare center serving over one million residents in Gaza City and the North Gaza district. Its destruction marks a severe blow to Gaza’s already collapsing health system, which has been under relentless pressure since the outbreak of the ongoing Israeli genocide on October 7, 2023.

Since the start of the aggression, 34 hospitals across Gaza have been destroyed and forced out of service, in addition to dozens of health centers and clinics. These Israeli attacks, rights groups argue, constitute clear violations of international law, particularly the Geneva Conventions which protect medical institutions during conflict.

@E.Y.M