Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital Devastated by Israeli Strike Amid Escalating Conflict

An Israeli airstrike has severely damaged the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, leading to evacuations and raising humanitarian concerns amidst the escalating violence.

 

An Israeli strike has obliterated crucial medical departments at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, as reported by Hamas officials. Dramatic footage circulating online captures flames and plumes of smoke emanating from the facility, which is struggling to accommodate patients and healthcare staff. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had issued an evacuation order shortly before the strike, dramatically urging medical personnel to clear the premises within a mere 20-minute window.

Despite the harrowing circumstances witnessed at the hospital, civil emergency services state that no casualties have yet been confirmed. In a chilling narrative, a local journalist relayed that an Israeli army officer contacted the hospital requesting an immediate evacuation. "All patients and displaced people must go out to a safe distance," the officer allegedly instructed amidst the chaos.

As night fell, visuals emerged depicting healthcare workers and patients scrambling to escape the building, with many seeking refuge outdoors. The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, once a modest healthcare provider, now stands as the sole operational hospital in Gaza City, following the destruction of other facilities, including the Al-Shifa medical complex.

The Hamas government swiftly condemned the assault, branding it a "horrific crime" against both patients and medical staff. Notably, a previous attack on the same hospital in October 2023 reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths, with conflicting narratives regarding its cause; Palestinian officials attributed the devastation to an Israeli strike, while Israel claimed it was the result of a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.

Since Israel initiated its military campaign in response to a significant cross-border incursion on October 7, 2023, the conflict has resulted in over 50,933 fatalities in Gaza, according to statistics from Hamas-run ministries. Notably, 1,563 of those deaths occurred since March 18, when Israel resumed its intensified operations. Amid escalating violence, Israel has indicated intentions to broaden its military efforts across much of Gaza.