An Israeli air strike on a hospital in southern Gaza has killed at the least two individuals, together with a senior Hamas official and a 16-year-old boy, Hamas and well being officers have stated.
Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, was killed whereas present process therapy at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis late on Sunday, Hamas stated in a press release.
“We condemn this newest crime, which provides to the occupation’s lengthy file of terrorism, violating sanctities, lives and medical amenities,” the Palestinian armed group stated in a press release.
“It reaffirms its disregard for all worldwide legal guidelines and conventions and its continued coverage of systematic killing in opposition to our individuals and management.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Barhoum had been the goal of the assault.
Israel’s army stated the assault had been carried out with “exact munitions with a view to mitigate hurt”, following an “intensive intelligence-gathering course of”.
“Hamas exploits civilian infrastructure whereas brutally endangering the Gazan inhabitants – cynically utilizing an lively hospital as a shelter for planning and executing murderous terrorist assaults in a direct violation of worldwide legislation,” the army stated in a press release.
Barhoum’s assassination got here simply hours after Hamas stated Israeli forces had killed Salah al-Bardawil, one other member of the group’s political bureau, alongside together with his spouse, in a strike on a tent shelter in Khan Younis.
Israel has killed 4 members of Hamas’s political bureau since Tuesday, when its forces resumed main army operations within the enclave following a weeks-long deadlock over the following stage of its ceasefire with Hamas.
Footage from exterior Nasser Hospital confirmed a fireball exploding from the constructing’s higher flooring as an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Rami Abu Taima was making ready to do a dwell broadcast on the scene.
Reporting from Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary stated at the least eight different Palestinians had been wounded within the assault, all of whom had been receiving therapy for earlier accidents.
Khoudary stated medical doctors on the hospital reported spending hours placing out fires within the division focused within the assault.
“Hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip are overwhelmed. There are not any medical provides or medication because the Israeli forces proceed to shut the border crossing for 21 days now,” Khoudary stated.
“The scenario can also be escalating in several elements of the Gaza Strip, particularly Beit Layhia within the north and Rafah within the southern elements of the Gaza Strip.”
Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon volunteering at Nasser Hospital, stated the 16-year-old boy killed within the assault was one among his sufferers.
“I operated on him. I consider on March 18, I did an stomach operation. He in all probability would have gone dwelling tomorrow, however now he’s useless,” Sidhwa instructed Al Jazeera.
Sidhwa stated the surgical ward for male sufferers had been destroyed and would must be fully rebuilt.
“The entire hospital smells like smoke now,” he stated.
“The [ward’s] whole electrical system was destroyed. Each door was blown off its hinges. Many of the home windows had been shattered. The ceiling has collapsed. It’s fully unusable. It’s going to must be torn out and redone.”
Sidhwa criticised Israeli forces for focusing on the hospital.
“Benjamin Netanyahu has been ailing not too long ago. Nicely, he stands accused of genocide. No one thinks Hamas can bomb a hospital as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu occurs to go there. That’s loopy,” Sidhwa stated.
“That’s fully insane. You don’t bomb hospitals. All people is aware of that.”
Israeli forces have killed greater than 600 individuals since resuming their assault on the enclave, together with dozens throughout the final 24 hours, in response to Palestinian well being officers.
On Sunday, the official demise toll in Gaza for the reason that begin of the battle topped 50,000, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry, a determine that many consultants consider is probably going an undercount of the true quantity.