An Israeli air strike has destroyed the emergency and surgery wings of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the last operational medical facility in Gaza City. Witnesses reported that the attack occurred in the early hours, with video showing flames engulfing part of the hospital compound as patients and medical staff attempted to flee.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the strike targeted a Hamas “command and control centre” allegedly operating within the hospital without providing any evidence. In its statement, the IDF added that it used precision munitions and gave prior warning to minimise harm to civilians and hospital staff. Local journalists reported that Israeli military officers phoned a doctor in the emergency department to order the evacuation of the hospital, giving 20 minutes for patients and staff to leave.
Footage on social media showed staff pushing patients in beds into the darkness as explosions lit up the hospital grounds. Families sheltering in the hospital courtyard were also seen fleeing. Gaza’s health ministry confirmed that the strike led to the “complete destruction” of key medical departments and the forced displacement of patients and staff.
The Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which oversees the hospital, condemned the strike, highlighting the destruction of the emergency department and genetic laboratory. “This attack, carried out on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week, is especially appalling,” the Diocese said in its statement.
According to Gaza’s civil emergency services, no casualties were officially recorded in the immediate aftermath. However, the Diocese confirmed that one child with a previous head injury died during the rushed evacuation.
Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital had been one of the few medical sites remaining in operation after the destruction of the Al-Shifa complex and other facilities in northern Gaza. The hospital had been serving not only the injured but also displaced civilians seeking shelter from the ongoing conflict.
In October 2023, an explosion at the same hospital killed hundreds. While Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli strike, the IDF stated that the incident was caused by a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a claim the group denied.