CAIRO: Two Israeli missiles hit a major Gaza hospital on Sunday (Apr 13), 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.
