In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, two Israeli missiles struck the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza late Sunday night, forcing the urgent evacuation of hundreds of patients. Though no deaths were reported, the hospital’s emergency department and other key facilities were severely damaged, knocking it out of operation entirely.
The Israeli military claims the strike targeted Hamas operatives allegedly using the hospital as cover. In a statement, they said all necessary precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm, including issuing a warning phone call before the attack. However, Gaza’s health ministry and the Baptist Church in Jerusalem have strongly condemned the assault, insisting the hospital was providing vital medical services and should never have been a target.
According to Khalil Al-Deqran, spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry, “Hundreds of injured and ill patients had to be rushed out into the streets in the middle of the night, many of them without proper care. Their lives are now at even greater risk.”
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and terror. Mohammed Abu Nasser, a patient who survived the blast, said, “I didn’t sleep all night. Glass was raining down on us inside. It was horrifying.” Social media was flooded with unverified footage showing patients being wheeled out of the hospital as smoke and debris filled the air.
The hospital, which is run by the Anglican Church, lost its two-storey Genetic Laboratory, and sustained damage to its pharmacy, emergency department, and adjacent buildings. The Church released a statement urging the international community to act. “We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions.”
This strike comes at a critical time, as Hamas leaders are currently in Cairo to restart ceasefire negotiations with Israel, with the support of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The timing of the strike has raised questions about Israel’s commitment to de-escalation while talks are ongoing.
The Israeli military maintains that Hamas frequently uses civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields—a claim Hamas denies. In fact, similar accusations were made in October 2023 when a deadly explosion at the same hospital was blamed on Israel by Hamas. A later investigation by Human Rights Watch concluded the blast was likely caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.
In addition to the hospital strike, separate Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 30 Palestinians, according to local sources. Among the dead was the head of a police station in Khan Younis and six brothers who were killed when their car was hit in Deir Al-Balah.
The war, now in its second year, was ignited by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 kidnapped. Since then, Gaza has witnessed relentless bombardment, with over 50,900 Palestinians killed and much of the territory reduced to rubble.
As pressure mounts on both sides to agree to a ceasefire, Sunday’s hospital strike serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of war and the fragility of ongoing peace efforts.
