According to Gaza officials, Israel conducted air strikes targeting or near at least three hospitals on Friday, leaving the health sector overwhelmed by casualties and displaced individuals due to Israel’s intense offensive on the Palestinian enclave.
According to Palestinian authorities, the death toll in Gaza reached 10,812 as of Thursday, with approximately 40% of the victims being children, a result of air and artillery strikes. The situation has led to a humanitarian crisis, with essential resources such as food and water dwindling, and civilian displacement from homes due to ongoing shelling.
“The Israeli occupation carried out simultaneous attacks on several hospitals in the past hours,” stated Ashraf Al-Qidra, the spokesperson for the Gaza Ministry of Health, in an interview with Al Jazeera television.
Qidra stated that Israel aimed at the courtyard of Al Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza City, resulting in casualties, though specific details were not provided.
As of now, Israel’s military has not issued an immediate response to Qidra’s remarks.
The ongoing month-long Israeli military campaign has severely strained Gaza’s hospitals, facing shortages of medical supplies, clean water, and fuel for generators. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 18 out of 35 hospitals and 40 other health centers were either damaged by bombardment or incapacitated due to fuel shortages.
On Friday, Palestinian media released video footage purportedly showing the aftermath of an Israeli attack on a parking lot at Al Shifa, where displaced Palestinians sought shelter and journalists were present.
