Israeli Strike on Ambulance Outside Gaza City Hospital Kills 15 People and Injures 60
An Israeli strike on an ambulance outside a hospital in Gaza City has resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people and the injury of another 60, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The strike occurred on Friday and was part of a series of attacks on schools and health infrastructure in Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed that its aircraft targeted the ambulance, claiming that it was being used by a Hamas terrorist cell. However, videos and photos of the aftermath indicate that the victims included women and children, and no evidence of weapons or military clothing could be seen.
The ambulance was part of a convoy that was meant to transport injured patients from al-Shifa Hospital to southern Gaza. The convoy was announced by the Gaza Health Ministry two hours before the strike but departed without the presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which was meant to ensure safe passage. The convoy was targeted twice after setting off, with the first shell landing nearby and causing damage to an ambulance belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent. The lead vehicle was then hit, injuring the driver and a medic. The rest of the convoy continued towards al-Shifa Hospital, where another strike resulted in the death and injury of dozens of civilians.
The Israeli military has repeatedly accused Hamas of using the hospital as a command and control center, a claim that Hamas denies. However, witnesses reported that tens of thousands of people displaced from their homes were seeking refuge near the hospital at the time of the attack. The Red Crescent ambulance and a parked car nearby both showed signs of damage, with their windows blown out and their sides crushed inward.
The strike on the ambulance raises serious questions about compliance with the law of war and the protection of civilians. Even if the ambulance was being used by Hamas, an attack on it would still not be considered legitimate under the laws of war. International humanitarian law requires a warning before an attack and other efforts to minimize harm to civilians.
Later on Friday, another Israeli strike devastated a school in Jabalya that was sheltering displaced families. The precise death toll from the attack is still being determined. Strikes and shelling were also reported near al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City and Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has described the humanitarian situation in the hospitals in northern Gaza as catastrophic and getting worse. Medical patients and facilities are supposed to be protected under international humanitarian law and have the right to receive adequate medical treatment.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the deaths of more than 9,000 people in Gaza since it started on October 7. Israel launched its campaign in response to a brutal Hamas assault on Israeli communities near the border, which killed at least 1,400 people.