An Israeli airstrike early Sunday (April 13) morning destroyed parts of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, rendering the last fully functioning medical facility in northern Gaza inoperable.
The attack, which occurred amid mounting military pressure on the enclave, has been widely condemned by international humanitarian organizations and United Nations officials.
The strike hit at approximately 2 a.m., according to the Palestinian civil defense agency, damaging critical infrastructure including the surgery building and the oxygen generation system for intensive care units. Though initial reports did not confirm casualties from the direct strike, Gaza’s health ministry reported the death of a child during the rushed evacuation due to a lack of oxygen.
Israeli airstrike devastates Gaza City’s last operational hospital
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, described the strike as a devastating blow to a healthcare system already “brought to its knees” by months of bombardment. “With this latest attack on the health system, the options for health care — especially emergency care — for the people of Gaza are reduced to zero,” she said. “The health care system has been decimated.”
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the Al-Ahli compound was being used as a Hamas command and control center. However, Hamas has denied the accusation, calling it a “fabrication” aimed at justifying “savage crimes.”
Eyewitnesses report that the IDF issued an evacuation order with less than 20 minutes’ notice before the strike. Video footage showed patients and hospital staff fleeing the compound amid heavy smoke and flames. The hospital, operated by the Anglican Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, had already been targeted four times prior to Sunday’s strike. The diocese expressed “shock and dismay” at the repeated attacks on its facility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented over 670 attacks on Gaza’s health care infrastructure since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023. These attacks have resulted in at least 886 deaths, including patients, health workers, and civilians.
Key Facts: Gaza war and Health crisis
- 390,000+ displaced since Israeli bombing began again on March 18, according to OCHA.
- WHO reported 670 attacks on Gaza health care system, including strikes on hospitals, ambulances, and health workers. These attacks have resulted in at least 886 deaths.
- Gaza’s health authorities report over 50,000 Palestinians killed and 115,688 injured since the conflict began. This includes 1,449 deaths and 3,647 injuries since the March escalation.
Humanitarian catastrophe intensifies amid aid blockade
WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris confirmed that the Al-Ahli Hospital is now out of service. “The pharmacy was destroyed, many of the different buildings and services were destroyed,” she said. Of the 90 patients present during the strike, 50 were evacuated, but at least 40 critically ill individuals were unable to be moved. “Medical supplies of all kinds are desperately low,” she added.
Dr. Moataz Harara, head of the hospital’s emergency department, called the evacuation “heartbreaking.” “You could see patients walking out on foot or being carried on beds, all of them filled with terror and fear etched on their faces,” he said. Al-Ahli had been handling up to 500 emergency cases per day in addition to 120 inpatients.
With the hospital destroyed, most trauma cases are now diverted to Al-Shifa Hospital, one of only 21 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza still partially operational, according to the WHO.
Global outrage and renewed calls for Ceasefire
International condemnation has followed swiftly. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the attack as “deplorable,” stating that “Israel’s attacks on medical facilities have comprehensively degraded access to healthcare in Gaza.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed concerns, emphasizing that hospitals and health workers are protected under international humanitarian law. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated, “Attacks on health care must stop. Patients, health workers and hospitals must be protected.”
Twelve major humanitarian organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, jointly issued a statement calling the ongoing blockade and attacks “one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation.” The groups warned: “Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point.”
Humanitarian access denied as crisis deepens
UN agencies have reported that aid crossings have been sealed for over seven weeks, preventing the delivery of vital medical and food supplies. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 390,000 Palestinians have been newly displaced since March 18, with food, water, and medicine in critically short supply.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher accused Israeli forces of deliberately obstructing humanitarian relief: “Aid teams are being blocked from saving lives in Gaza.”
As Israeli forces expand their military operations—most recently seizing a corridor between Rafah and Khan Younis—the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, with warnings from UN officials that the enclave is on the brink of complete systemic collapse.