“Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Hospital Tent Camp Kills 4, Sparks Fire, and Injures Dozens”
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – An Israeli airstrike on a tent camp within the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital early Monday killed at least four people and left more than two dozen others severely burned, according to Palestinian medical sources. Flames spread rapidly through the camp, which was sheltering displaced civilians amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Al-Aqsa hospital, located in the central city of Deir al-Balah, was already overwhelmed by patients from an earlier attack on a nearby school-turned-shelter, which killed at least 20 people. As the new strike set tents ablaze, Palestinian medics struggled to manage the influx of casualties. Footage from the scene showed children among the injured, including a toddler with a bandaged head and another child receiving a blood transfusion on the hospital floor.
Hospital records confirmed that 40 people were injured in the strike, with 25 of them transferred to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza for treatment of severe burns.
Israel Defends Targeting, Citing Militants in Civilian Areas
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted militants allegedly hiding among civilians, though no evidence was provided. This aligns with Israel’s ongoing strategy of targeting shelters and camps it claims are being used by Hamas fighters.
The war, now over a year old, escalated after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting around 250 hostages. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and ground operations, resulting in over 42,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry reports that more than half of those killed were women and children, though it does not specify how many casualties were fighters.
Mass Displacement and Humanitarian Concerns
Roughly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced during the conflict, many forced to relocate multiple times. Israel has ordered the evacuation of the northern third of Gaza, home to about 400,000 people, but has blocked the delivery of food to the region since early October. Human rights groups have criticized the strategy, warning that it may constitute a violation of international law if civilians are denied essential aid.
Concerns are mounting that Israel may implement a controversial “surrender-or-starve” policy, as outlined in a proposal by former military generals. The plan involves labeling civilians who remain in northern Gaza as combatants, raising alarms among humanitarian organizations.
Regional Escalation with Hezbollah and Iran
The conflict risks spilling over into a broader regional war, with Israel also conducting air and ground operations in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched an attack on an Israeli army base, killing four soldiers and wounding seven. The militant group claimed the assault was retaliation for an earlier Israeli strike on Beirut that killed 22 people.
Israel has also warned of possible military action against Iran in response to a recent ballistic missile strike, further increasing tensions across the region.
As the war continues without a resolution in sight, the humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens, while fears of an expanded conflict involving multiple countries grow.
Source:Swifteradio.com
