Two Israeli rockets hit a building at the main hospital in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, destroying the emergency room and reception area and damaging other buildings, according to doctors. The attack was aimed at “Hamas fighters” according to an Israeli statement, who would be using the facility as a hiding place. The Al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Al-Ahli-al-Arabi Hospital and the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, evacuated patients from the building after someone reported receiving a call from an Israeli security service employee just before the attack. The Al-Ahli Hospital is the last functioning hospital in Gaza City. No injuries were reported by the civil rescue service. Images circulated on social media of dozens of people leaving the building, some carrying sick relatives in hospital beds. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry and Hamas condemned the attack on the hospital and stated in a statement that Israel is destroying the health system of the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been repeatedly targeted. The Israeli military alleges that Hamas has set up command centers in tunnels under the hospitals, but often there are doubts about the Israeli account. In March, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that only 22 of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip were partially functional. Israel has also announced the closure of the so-called Morag Corridor on Saturday night and plans to expand its attacks in the Gaza Strip. The Morag Corridor separates the nearby cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, creating de facto a three-part division of the Gaza Strip.
Israel Targets Last Operating Hospital in Gaza City, Disrupting Medical Services
