Title: Israeli Air Strike Hits Gaza City Hospital and UN School, Killing Hundreds
Date: October 17, 2023
In a devastating attack on Tuesday, an Israeli air strike targeted Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least 300 people, according to authorities in the Palestinian enclave. Furthermore, the United Nations reported that one of its schools, being used as a shelter, was also hit by an Israeli strike.
The Gaza civil defense chief, speaking on Al-Jazeera television, stated that more than 300 people lost their lives in the hospital attack, while a source from the Gaza Health Ministry revealed that at least 500 people were killed. Notably, both departments are under the control of the Hamas-run government.
Israel’s military responded to the reports, stating that they were still gathering all the details regarding the strikes on the hospital and the school, suggesting that they were in the process of investigating the incidents.
Tragically, health authorities in Gaza have reported that at least 3,000 people have been killed in Israel’s 11-day intense bombardment since Hamas militants launched attacks on Israeli towns on October 7, leaving more than 1,300 soldiers and civilians dead.
The news of the hospital blast comes ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s scheduled visit to Israel on Wednesday and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit on Tuesday.
The international community has strongly criticized the attacks. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his disapproval, stating that hitting a hospital is unacceptable. Egypt also condemned the attack “in the strongest terms.”
Videos obtained by Reuters revealed the chaotic aftermath of the hospital attack, showing several ambulances arriving at another Gaza hospital, transporting injured individuals from Al-Ahli al-Arabi. The footage depicted one man staggering, bleeding heavily from his head, while a young boy was being carried on a stretcher.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA reported that an Israeli air strike targeted one of their schools, which was serving as a shelter for displaced people. At least six individuals were killed, and dozens were injured in the strike, causing severe structural damage to the school that housed approximately 4,000 people.
Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini of UNRWA emphasized the dire situation, stating that the victims had nowhere else to go, underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian aid.
Hamas officials stated that the majority of the casualties in the hospital attack were displaced individuals seeking shelter, referring to it as a massacre. Meanwhile, a senior official from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which operatis in the West Bank but not in Gaza, also condemned the attack.
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continues to escalate, with this latest attack further fueling tensions in the region.
Reporting By Moaz Abd-Alaziz, Nidal al Mughrabi, and Ali Sawafta; Additional reporting by Emily Rose; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Cynthia Osterman