Jerusalem, Apr 13 (EFE).- Israeli forces bombed a hospital in northern Gaza early Sunday, prompting a hurried evacuation and causing widespread damage, amid Israeli claims that Hamas operated a command center from the facility.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the strike, carried out around 2:30 a.m. local time, targeted a Hamas command and control center. “The facility was used to plan and execute terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and troops,” the army claimed in a statement.
Hamas swiftly denied the accusations, calling them “a flagrant repetition of lies” used to justify “brutal crimes against shelters, civilians, and hospitals.” The group insisted it had never used the hospital for military purposes.
Local sources told EFE that the bombing hit the hospital’s reception building, sparking a fire that spread to the emergency ward, laboratory, and pharmacy. No fatalities were reported, according to a Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, istered by Hamas, condemned the strike and said it destroyed the hospital’s entrance and forced the evacuation of both patients and staff.
The ministry urged the international community to intervene to halt what it described as ongoing attacks on Gaza’s medical infrastructure.
Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, which is banned in Israel, aired footage showing rescuers combing through the rubble in search of survivors.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the attack, calling it part of a wider Israeli campaign to dismantle Gaza’s healthcare system.
“The occupation has deliberately destroyed 34 hospitals in the Strip, rendering them out of service,” the ministry said, citing 18 months of war that it claims to have killed more than 50,000 people.
Despite hospitals being protected under International Humanitarian Law, the ministry noted that Israel has continued raids, sieges, and bombings of medical facilities.
The World Food Programme recently warned of an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying Israel has blocked all aid since March 2. It also announced the suspension of bakery operations due to shortages of flour and cooking gas, pushing hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. EFE
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