Witnesses say an Israeli airstrike has hit Gaza’s largest hospital, killing and wounding several people. Al Jazeera television aired footage appearing to show the aftermath of the strike on Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, with several people sprawled lifeless on the ground inside the medical compound, which includes several buildings. Two people sheltering at the hospital confirmed the strike to The Associated Press.
Quick Read
- Israeli Airstrike on Shifa Hospital: Witnesses report an Israeli airstrike hitting Gaza’s largest hospital, Shifa, causing deaths and injuries.
- Al Jazeera Footage: Al Jazeera aired footage showing the aftermath inside the hospital compound with several casualties.
- Witness Accounts: Assad Abu Radwan, a witness, reported five deaths and assisted two injured people. There’s no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
- Hospital’s Role in Conflict: Shifa Hospital was previously accused by Israel of hiding a Hamas command center, which hospital staff and Hamas denied.
- Israeli Raid and Allegations: Israel conducted a raid on Shifa last month, claiming to have discovered a militant hideout underneath it.
- Impact of Fighting on Hospital: Prior fighting near Shifa left patients and displaced people stranded without adequate supplies. The hospital had almost ceased functioning.
- Evacuation and Return to Hospital: Many evacuated as Israeli forces approached, but the hospital later resumed serving as a shelter.
- WHO Assessment: The World Health Organization described the hospital’s emergency department as a “bloodbath” with overwhelmed medical facilities, and highlighted the dire conditions for thousands sheltering there amidst food and water shortages.
The Associated Press has the story:
Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital is struck by Israeli Fire, Witnesses say
Newslooks- GAZA (AP)
Witnesses say an Israeli airstrike has hit Gaza’s largest hospital, killing and wounding several people. Al Jazeera television aired footage appearing to show the aftermath of the strike on Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, with several people sprawled lifeless on the ground inside the medical compound, which includes several buildings. Two people sheltering at the hospital confirmed the strike to The Associated Press.
Assad Abu Radwan, who witnessed the strike, counted five dead and said he helped two wounded people take cover inside. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Shifa was the scene of a prolonged standoff earlier in the war when Israel accused Hamas of concealing a major command center inside and beneath the medical compound, allegations denied by hospital staff and the militant group.
After raiding Shifa last month, Israel revealed what it said was a militant hideout in a tunnel underneath the hospital and other evidence that it said proved Hamas had used the facility.
Fighting outside Shifa had left hundreds of patients and tens of thousands of displaced people stranded for days with little food, water or medical supplies.
Most evacuated the hospital, which had all but stopped functioning, as Israeli forces closed in. But in the weeks since the raid the hospital has become a shelter once again.
The World Health Organization, which is working to restore services at Shifa and was able to visit on Friday, described its emergency department as a “bloodbath.” It said there were hundreds of wounded patients, some being sutured on the floor with little or no pain medicine.
The WHO said tens of thousands of people are sheltering in the medical compound despite severe shortages of food and water.
