WHAT HAPPENED?

Recently An Israeli air strike has destroyed Al Ahli Arab Hospital, the last fully functional hospital in Gaza City. The strike destroyed the intensive care and surgery departments of the hospital. However there were no deaths due to this attack. Unfortunately, one child, who previously suffered a head injury, died as a result of the rushed evacuation process.

Al-Ahli Hospital is one of at least 36 hospitals that have been bombed and burned by the Israeli military in the last 18 months since the start of the war.

PAST ATTACKS

In October 2023, an explosion at the same hospital killed hundreds of people. In November 2023 An ambulance convoy was destroyed by an Israeli air attack outside al-Shifa Hospital. In January 2024, several people were killed when Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was attacked. In March 2024, there was an air raid on the Al-Aqsa Hospital and Israeli forces have attacked Kamal Adwan Hospital, Al-Aqsa Hospital and many others in these recent times.

Targeting of health facilities, medical personnel and patients is considered a war crime under the 1949 Geneva Convention.

BUT WHY IS ISRAEL ATTACKING THEM?

According to the Israeli Forces the hospitals are targeted because hamas terrorists have been using them as a command and control centre. In Gaza, hospitals have been used as a terror infrastructure for hiding hamas terrorists and for storing weapons and munitions.  

BACKGROUND

The Israelis have launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to a terror attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. In Israeli attacks so far more than 50,933 people have been killed in Gaza.