The Israeli military said on Sunday it had conducted air strikes at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, noting that the target was the Hamas command center operated within the facility.
According to the IDF and Shin Bet Intelligence Agency, militant groups have been using hospitals to plan and launch attacks, including operations against Israeli civilians.
The IDF said precautions taken (such as early warnings) were taken to minimize civilian harm. No injuries.
Witnesses told DPA that hospital staff were instructed to evacuate before the strike, and the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported only 18 minutes.
Patients were reportedly waiting in cold conditions outside the facility. WAFA added that a hospital building was destroyed and the fire broke out. In recent months, Al-Ahli has served as a key medical center in northern Gaza.
The hospital strike was part of a wider escalation in the weekend in Israel’s military operations.
A military spokesperson said that over the past 48 hours, the Israeli Air Force has encountered more than 90 targets in the Gaza Strip, including weapons warehouses, terrorists, missile launch sites and command centers.
According to the Israeli military, rocket sirens were triggered in Tel Aviv and in the central region of the country, as projectiles launched from Yemen were clearly intercepted successfully by defense.
A military spokesperson said the rockets were likely initiated by Yemen-backed Iran-backed Houthi militias, which repeatedly targeted Israel. There were no reports of damage or injury immediately.
Earlier in the day, the Gaza Strip launched rockets at Israel. The military later announced plans to strike what it said was allegedly launched at the Khan Younis city in southern Gaza.
Ground operations in the southern Gaza Strip, especially in the Rafa region and the Morag Corridor continue. The Israeli military once again urged Khan Yunis residents to evacuate on Sunday, warning of an imminent attack and noting that extreme forces would be used on any missile launch site.
Meanwhile, seven people were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in a car in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza. Palestinian medical staff provided casualties, although the victim’s identity has not been released immediately. The Israeli military said it was investigating the report.
Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and Allied factions launched a large-scale attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 people.
According to the Hamas-ruled Health Authority, Israel’s subsequent campaign in Gaza caused more than 50,000 deaths and caused enormous damage and had a huge humanitarian impact.
Although these figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, human rights organizations have attracted attention from the number of women and children in casualties.
People examined the destruction of the Al-Ahli Hospital (also known as Baptist or Ahli Arab Hospital) in Gaza after the Israeli strike. OMAR ASHTAWY/APA Images by Zuma Press Wire/DPA
