Gaza hospital forced to cease operations after Israeli airstrike

Gaza/Jerusalem, April 13 (IANS) An Israeli airstrike hit the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City early Sunday, damaging key medical infrastructure and forcing the facility to shut down, according to Palestinian medical sources and eyewitnesses.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted "a Hamas command and control centre" located within the hospital compound, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) said that Hamas operatives have been using the facility to coordinate attacks.

A medical staff member told Xinhua anonymously that the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning shortly before the strike.

The attack struck the hospital's surgical operations department and an oxygen generation unit, inflicting severe damage across multiple sections of the facility.

"The two targeted departments were destroyed, and the hospital can no longer operate," the staff member said, adding that the facility had been sheltering patients, injured civilians, and hundreds of displaced residents before the strike.

Munir al-Barsh, director general of Health Services in Gaza, described a chaotic evacuation conducted under ongoing bombardment.

He said a child being moved from the premises died during the process.

Witnesses reported that the evacuation took place amid smoke, fire, and falling debris.

The Israeli military said that it employed precision-guided munitions and conducted aerial surveillance ahead of the strike to reduce the risk to civilians and medical staff.

It added that prior warnings had been issued in the area.

The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza condemned the strike, calling it a "war crime" and accusing Israel and the US of bearing responsibility.

It claimed the attack was part of a broader campaign against Gaza's healthcare sector.

Local health authorities also appealed to international organisations to safeguard medical facilities and personnel.

Meanwhile, the health authorities in Gaza reported on Sunday that the Palestinian death toll since the start of the conflict on October 7, 2023, has reached 50,944, with 116,156 wounded.

They noted 11 deaths and 111 injuries in the past 24 hours, adding that rescue efforts continue to be hampered by ongoing hostilities.

--IANS

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