People survey the damage caused by an Israeli airstrike on Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City on April 13, 2025. Getty Images
An Israeli airstrike on Sunday severely damaged Gaza City's last fully functioning hospital, leaving it out of service. The attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital happened as Israel ramped up its military offensive in Gaza. While no immediate casualties were reported from the strike itself, a boy with a head injury died during the hospital’s rushed evacuation. According to the Anglican church in Jerusalem, the hospital received only 20 minutes' notice before the attack, forcing staff to evacuate patients to the streets.
The hospital’s emergency room and reception area were significantly damaged, along with the adjacent St Philip’s church. Footage from the site showed the destruction. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed they targeted a Hamas command-and-control center located within the hospital, but provided no evidence to support the allegation. Hamas denied the accusation, stating that the hospital was not being used for military purposes.
As the conflict escalates, the IDF is pushing further into Gaza, expanding its operations and seizing areas such as the Morag corridor in the southern part of Gaza. The military claims this action is part of efforts to create a larger security zone. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the goal of these intensified operations is to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages and complying with Israel’s demands. Katz also said that the IDF’s actions will continue as long as Hamas resists.
The United Nations reported that over 400,000 people in Gaza have been displaced due to the conflict. Many have sought refuge in hospitals, including the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which once treated up to 1,000 patients daily. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the hospital’s pharmacy was destroyed in the strike, and 50 patients had to be transferred to other hospitals, leaving 40 critical patients unable to move.
Dr. Fadel Naim, the hospital’s director, confirmed that the child who died during the evacuation succumbed to a lack of oxygen and severe cold. Mohammed Abu Naser, a patient at the hospital, recalled the moment of the strike, fearing for his life as the building was hit. “We expected that we would all die inside the hospital,” he said.
This strike on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital marks the fifth attack on the facility since October 2023. International organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Jerusalem Diocese, condemned the strike, calling it an assault on a vital medical center during a humanitarian crisis. Dr. Samer Attar, an American doctor working in Gaza, described the situation as desperate, with exhausted and wounded people suffering both physically and mentally.
In response to the strike, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the temporary closure of the hospital and redirected patients to other medical facilities. However, the growing number of casualties and the ongoing damage to hospitals are stretching Gaza’s healthcare system to its breaking point.
This attack is part of a broader Israeli military campaign to weaken Hamas. Over the weekend, the IDF carried out airstrikes across Gaza, targeting Hamas compounds and storage facilities. In addition to the strike on the hospital, Israel reported hitting a weapons storage facility in northern Gaza and claimed to have killed a senior Hamas figure in Deir al-Balah.
The strike on the hospital and other recent military actions have drawn strong condemnation from international leaders, including those from the UK, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the plight of civilians continues to worsen as the conflict intensifies, with little hope for a ceasefire or end to the violence in the near future.
