The Israeli military attacked and destroyed part of a hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday morning, despite telling patients and staff to evacuate the site beforehand. The Ahli Arab Hospital was damaged when an errant rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad struck it hours before.
A child being treated for a head injury at the hospital died due to rushed evacuation efforts, according to the Anglican Church in Jerusalem, which oversees the medical center. The strike also destroyed a laboratory and damaged a pharmacy, emergency department, and church within the hospital compound.
The Ahli Arab Hospital was one of Gaza’s main healthcare providers, with 33 out of 36 hospitals being damaged during the war that began in October 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Hospitals are now facing a looming medicine shortage due to Israel blocking aid deliveries for six weeks.
The hospital had previously been hit by a missile when dozens of displaced families were sheltering in the parking lot less than two weeks into the war. Hamas blamed the initial strike on Israel, while Israel said it was caused by an errant rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
In a separate development, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the capture of a strategic east-west thoroughfare in southern Gaza, which will sever links between Rafah and Khan Younis, expanding Israel’s occupation in the area.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-hospital.html