Iran Press/West Asia: Gaza’s civil defense agency confirmed on Sunday that Israeli forces had targeted Al-Wafaa Hospital, located in central Gaza City. The agency’s statement detailed the aftermath: “Seven martyrs and several injured people, including critical cases, have been recovered following the Israeli strike on the upper floor of Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza City.”
The attack on Al-Wafaa Hospital comes as healthcare facilities across Gaza are overwhelmed, operating under extreme duress due to sustained bombardments and an enduring blockade by the Israeli regime. Munir al-Barsh, the Director General of the Health Ministry in Gaza, explained that the hospital had been rehabilitated recently and was on the verge of becoming fully operational. “The Al-Wafaa Hospital is partially operational, providing care to patients with physical disabilities,” al-Barsh said. “Had it not been targeted by Israeli shelling today, it would have been ready to fully reopen in the next few days.”
Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, condemned the attack on Al-Wafaa Hospital in stark terms, calling it a war crime. “The Zionist airstrike on Al-Wafaa Hospital and artillery shelling on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City are war crimes,” the Palestinian resistance movement said in a statement.
Hamas also decried international indifference to "an ongoing campaign of genocide, the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure - particularly hospitals - and the deliberate targeting of doctors and medical personnel.” The movement urged the international community to take action by deploying United Nations observers and enforcing protections for healthcare facilities.
The Israeli strike on Al-Wafaa Hospital follows another Israeli aggression at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. According to the World Health Organization, that facility was left empty of both patients and staff after an Israeli military aggression. The hospital’s director, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, was detained by Israeli forces on allegations of militancy.
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