Israeli missiles strike Gaza hospital, patients evacuated

CAIRO — Two Israeli missiles hit a major Gaza hospital on Sunday, putting the emergency department out of action and damaging other structures, medics said, in a strike which Israel said was aimed at Hamas fighters exploiting the facility.

Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital evacuated patients after a phone call from someone who identified himself as Israeli security shortly before the attack.

No casualties were reported in the strike. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had taken steps to reduce harm to civilians before it struck the compound, which it said was being used by Hamas militants to plan attacks. Hamas rejected the accusation and called for an international investigation.

The hospital – an institution run by the Anglican Church in Jerusalem – was no longer operational, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

“Hundreds of patients and injured people had to be evacuated in the middle of the night, and many of them are now out in the streets without medical care, which puts their lives at risk,” said ministry spokesperson Khalil Al-Deqran.

Sunday’s strikes came as Hamas leaders began a fresh round of talks in Cairo in a bid to salvage a stalled ceasefire agreement with Israel, as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States attempted to bridge gaps between the sides.

Reuters footage showed significant destruction in and outside the hospital compound’s church, and patients who could not leave.

“The scene was scary. From last night until now, I haven’t slept a single minute out of fear. All night, glass was shattering over us inside,” said an injured man, Mohammed Abu Nasser.

The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem said the warning to evacuate the hospital came 20 minutes before the strike that destroyed the two-storey genetic laboratory, and damaged the pharmacy and emergency department buildings and other surrounding structures.

“We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions,” the church said in a statement.

The Palestinian foreign ministry and Hamas condemned the attack, saying Israel was destroying Gaza’s healthcare system.

Israel says Hamas systematically exploits civilian structures, including hospitals, which the militant group denies. Israeli forces have carried out numerous raids in medical facilities in Gaza.

In October 2023, a deadly blast at a parking lot in the compound of Al-Ahli hospital was blamed by Hamas on an Israeli airstrike. Israel said a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group had caused the blast.