Israeli Airstrike Hits Last Functional Hospital in Gaza City, Fueling Humanitarian Crisis**

The Israeli Defense Forces targeted al Ahli Arab Hospital under the claim that it housed a Hamas command center. As patients rushed to evacuate, one child died due to complications during the hasty exit, while hospital operations were critically disrupted. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from international entities and humanitarian organizations.**

An Israeli airstrike has severely damaged al Ahli Arab Hospital, the last operational medical facility in Gaza City, amidst an intensifying humanitarian crisis. Witnesses reported that the attack destroyed key departments, including intensive care and surgery, prompting chaos as patients attempted to evacuate. Video footage circulating on social media captured stunning images of thick smoke and flames engulfing the site.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated the strike was targeted at a "command and control center used by Hamas" located within the hospital premises. Although local emergency services reported no immediate casualties, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem—responsible for the management of the hospital—revealed that one child succumbed to injuries sustained amid the frantic evacuation process.

Consequently, the bombing inflicted extensive damage on surrounding structures, including St. Philip's church and residences in the vicinity. The diocese expressed outrage, branding the assault as particularly appalling given that it occurred on Palm Sunday, marking the onset of Holy Week for Christians.

With the hospital's destruction, Gaza's Hamas-led health ministry reported a "total loss" of capabilities, resulting in the forced evacuation of patients and medical staff. The IDF maintained that precautions were taken to minimize civilian harm, including a pre-evacuation warning directed to the medical personnel on site.

A local journalist, present during the incident, reported receiving a phone call from the IDF instructing the emergency department's doctor to evacuate within a mere 20-minute window—a timeframe that prompted mass exodus from the facility as darkness enveloped the area.

Eyewitness Khalil Bakr described his harrowing escape with his three injured daughters, all of whom had serious medical needs. He recounted narrowly avoiding the explosion, stating, "Only two minutes separated us from death."

Al Ahli was the only fully functional hospital left in Gaza City following the earlier destruction of Al-Shifa and other medical facilities. According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, the hospital’s out-of-service status is a direct consequence of the evacuation order amid hostilities. The disruption has resulted in the transfer of 50 patients to alternative locations, leaving 40 critical individuals without relocation or new patient intake capabilities until repairs can be conducted.

International outcry escalated as the Hamas-led government condemned the strike as a "horrific crime against humanity," stressing the implications for medical care access amidst ongoing violence. UK Foreign Minister David Lammy also voiced concern, insisting that the attacks on hospitals must cease to ensure the restoration of healthcare.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, emphasized the grave nature of the incident, linking the attack to broader humanitarian implications as it struck on a significant religious occasion.

The ongoing conflict has already led to over 50,000 deaths in Gaza since hostilities escalated on October 7, when a brutal cross-border raid resulted in the loss of around 1,200 Israeli lives and the kidnapping of over 250 individuals. The IDF’s intensified operations have followed suit, revealing the troubling trajectory of regional stability as calls for ceasefire and humanitarian aid continue to grow louder in response to the escalating violence.