An Israeli airstrike hit the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, killing at least four people, according to local health officials and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The strike occurred as thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering in makeshift camps on the hospital grounds. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations and the United States.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the airstrike targeted a Hamas command center in the area. In a statement, IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the strike was a “precise” operation based on intelligence, targeting terrorists operating from a command and control center near the hospital. Shoshani also noted that the hospital itself was not directly targeted, but a fire ignited in the parking lot, likely due to secondary explosions from Hamas weaponry. He confirmed the incident was under review.
However, the aftermath of the strike has provoked outrage. Videos shared on social media, verified by NBC News, show harrowing scenes of individuals engulfed in flames, with some reaching out for help and others fleeing the fire. Local health officials reported that four people were killed, with many others injured, including women and children.
The moment Israeli forces bombed displaced Palestinians tents in inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah city in the central #Gaza Strip, and burned several civilians alive. pic.twitter.com/r8N8AAoWoj
— WAFA News Agency – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) October 14, 2024
The occupation bombed the displaced sheltering at Al Aqsa martyrs hospital. pic.twitter.com/H2egs50opT
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) October 13, 2024
The U.S. National Security Council voiced its concern about the incident. In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson expressed deep alarm over the images of civilians burning alive, calling the strike “deeply disturbing.” The spokesperson stressed that Israel must do more to avoid civilian casualties, regardless of Hamas’ alleged use of civilian areas for cover, describing the incident as “horrifying.”Â
From the massacre site.
The tents of the displaced that were bombed by the occupation tonight in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. pic.twitter.com/mEGfLhQuD7
— Lou Rage (@lifepeptides) October 14, 2024
The airstrike at the hospital followed a string of deadly Israeli military operations in Gaza. On the same day, the Israeli military launched another airstrike in the Nuseirat area of central Gaza, hitting a United Nations-run refugee camp and killing at least 20 people, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. The Mufti school, where the UN had begun a polio vaccination campaign, was damaged, forcing the suspension of the effort.
The IDF defended its actions, stating that it takes measures to mitigate civilian casualties, such as using precise munitions and conducting aerial surveillance. However, the strikes have intensified criticism from international bodies, including the United Nations. A fact-finding mission by the United Nations Human Rights Council has accused Israel of committing potential war crimes by targeting hospitals in Gaza, citing willful killing and mistreatment of civilians.
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