Tessa Quinn
Israel has been accused of bombing hospitals in Gaza, with sources reporting attacks on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital, al-Amal Hospital, al-Shifa Hospital, and Nasser Hospital. Israel has denied these allegations, claiming that it respects and protects the wounded and sick. However, there is evidence to suggest that Israel has conducted raids and bombings of hospitals in Gaza, with reports of Israeli soldiers forcing entry into hospitals, assaulting facilities, and causing damage and fatalities. While Israel claims these actions are necessary to target Hamas, there is debate surrounding the validity of their justification, with some sources alleging obfuscation and unsubstantiated allegations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the incident | 15 October 2023 |
| Location | al-Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza City |
| Details of the incident | An explosion took place in the parking lot of the hospital courtyard, resulting in a large number of fatalities and injuries among displaced Palestinians seeking shelter |
| Allegations | Palestinians and Israelis blamed each other for the attack. A post on Twitter claimed that the bomb was an American-made MK-84, citing a report by the Wall Street Journal. However, a spokesperson from the Journal denied this. |
| Fact-check | A search on the Journal's website did not yield any results supporting the claim. The Reuters Fact Check team concluded that the Journal did not report that a U.S. MK-84 bomb was used in the blast. |
| Other reports | The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, stated that an Israeli rocket damaged the upper two floors of the hospital's cancer treatment center on 14 October 2023. |
| Israeli response | Israel has denied allegations of bombing the hospital. The Wall Street Journal reported that analysts found the explosion site inconsistent with the types of bombs and missiles used by Israel. |
| Hospital status | Partially functioning, with some damage to the building and grounds |
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What You'll Learn
Israel's week-long incursion into Nasser Hospital
On the night of February 14-15, 2024, Israeli forces shelled Nasser Hospital, the largest hospital in southern Gaza. This came after several weeks of intense fighting with Palestinian armed groups in Khan Younis. The hospital, which had been a refuge for many people, was at the center of heavy fighting and was considered under siege.
The orthopedic department was hit, killing one person and injuring eight others. Israeli forces then ordered everyone to evacuate, and stormed the hospital early on February 15. Those who left were screened by Israeli troops, and one Doctors Without Borders (MSF) staff member was detained and later released.
The Israeli army claimed that Hamas used the hospital for military operations and to hold the bodies of two Israeli hostages, which could be considered war crimes. Israel maintained that it would "'ensure that the Nasser Hospital continues its important function of treating Gazan patients.'" The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also stated that it coordinated the supply of oxygen tanks, food, water, a fuel tank, a generator, medical equipment, and baby formula.
The IDF denied a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) access to the hospital for two days after the incursion began. When eventually allowed into the compound, the WHO team was forbidden from speaking to the hospital director about patients who needed urgent evacuation. These included people with profound medical issues, such as paralysis, spinal fractures, and external fixations for orthopedic injuries.
On February 22, the Israeli army withdrew from Nasser Hospital, leaving it severely damaged and non-functional.
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Israeli ground troops forced displaced people to leave
On February 15, 2024, Israeli ground troops forced thousands of displaced people sheltering in the Nasser Hospital compound in Khan Younis, Gaza, to leave. This was during a week-long siege and shelling of the hospital by Israel. The displaced people were forced to leave while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assaulted the facility.
Israel has been accused of undermining and delegitimizing UN agencies and nongovernmental health and humanitarian agencies, both Palestinian and international, that are trying to alleviate the worsening human catastrophe in Gaza. Israel has denied these accusations, claiming that it has coordinated with international actors to supply essential items such as oxygen tanks, food, water, fuel, generators, medical equipment, and baby formula.
The Israeli agency that implements civilian policies in Gaza, Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), stated that the operation was "conducted with careful management of the hospital, ensuring no harm to patients and medical staff, in accordance with IDF values and international law." However, for two days after the incursion began, the IDF denied a team from the World Health Organization (WHO) access to the hospital to assess patients and arrange evacuations.
The forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the northern part of the West Bank has been escalating, with Israeli forces launching Operation Iron Wall in mid-2023, which has displaced 40,000 Palestine refugees. The UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has warned that repeated and destructive operations have rendered the northern refugee camps uninhabitable, trapping residents in cyclical displacement.
Israeli government officials and the war cabinet have repeatedly declared their intent to forcibly displace the population, and their actions have intentionally caused the mass and forced displacement of the majority of the civilian population of Gaza. This includes the use of unlawful airstrikes, destruction of civilian infrastructure and housing, and a tight blockade of Gaza that has led to a humanitarian catastrophe and amounts to collective punishment of the civilian population.
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Alleged Hamas use of hospitals for military operations
During the Gaza war, Israel and its allies accused Hamas of using hospitals for military operations and as human shields. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas was using the Nasser Hospital in Gaza for military operations and to hold the bodies of two Israeli hostages. The IDF also alleged that Hamas was using Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, as its "main operations base" and that the group had a command centre in a bunker beneath the hospital. The United States, the European Union, and the United Nations Secretary-General supported some of these accusations.
Hamas and hospital administrators have denied these allegations, and independent investigations have found little evidence to support the claims. Amnesty International, for example, stated that it had "not seen any credible evidence to support Israel's claim that al-Shifa is housing a military command centre". The Washington Post analysed publicly released material, satellite imagery, and other publicly available information and concluded that there was "no immediate evidence of military use by Hamas". Similarly, journalists for The Independent claimed that "Israel has not presented evidence that shows a large-scale headquarters under the hospital".
Israel has been accused of engaging in a public relations campaign to justify its siege and takeover of hospitals in Gaza. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted a video purportedly of a nurse at al-Shifa backing up Israeli claims of Hamas usage of the hospital. However, the video was widely mocked and questioned, with many Arabs doubting its authenticity, and France 24 finding it to be likely staged. Human rights organisations have also criticised Israel's release of alleged confessions of Hamas militants, stating that they were likely obtained through torture and violate international law.
The use of hospitals for military operations and as human shields is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of committing war crimes and violating international law. The destruction of hospitals and the disruption of medical care have severe consequences for the affected populations, causing harm and putting lives at risk.
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Israel's raid of Shifa Hospital and alleged bunker
Israel has been accused of violating international law during its raid on Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest hospital, in November 2023. The hospital's acting chairman, Dr Marwan Abu Saada, reported that three of his colleagues were killed during the siege, including the chief engineer of the maintenance department, the head of pharmaceuticals, and a reconstructive surgeon killed alongside his mother.
The Israeli military has stated that the raid was carried out to clear the hospital of militants operating there and that they found weapons, combat gear, and technological equipment belonging to Hamas militants. They also claimed that Hamas had a command centre in a bunker underneath the hospital. However, critics argue that Israel has not presented sufficient proof of this allegation and that the nation is waging a propaganda war to detract from accusations of wrongdoing.
The head of the World Health Organization called the raid "totally unacceptable," and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an independent international investigation into the incident. Accounts from the military and witnesses regarding the raid differ wildly, and there have been allegations of war crimes committed by both sides.
In April 2024, health workers in Gaza exhumed the first bodies from mass graves at Shifa Hospital, where at least 381 bodies were found. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that among the deceased were allegedly older people, women, and the wounded, while others were found tied and stripped of their clothes. The aftermath of the raid left a vast swath of destruction, with heavily damaged and charred buildings, mounds of dirt churned up by bulldozers, and destroyed neighbourhoods and homes around the hospital.
While Israel has presented evidence of Hamas' use of the hospital, including reports from Israeli Shin Bet officials and U.S. intelligence, critics argue that this evidence is inconclusive. There have also been allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli forces during the raid, including the deliberate firing on a clearly marked convoy of Doctors Without Borders staff and the killing of civilians being treated at the hospital.
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Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion and international responses
On 17 October 2023, an explosion took place in the courtyard of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, resulting in a large number of casualties. The hospital was sheltering a significant number of displaced Palestinians at the time. The cause of the explosion and the responsible party are disputed.
The Gaza Health Ministry, Hamas, and the Ministry of Health in Gaza attributed the explosion to an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military denied this, instead claiming that the explosion was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired. The Israeli military also stated that they had warned the hospital to evacuate hours before the explosion.
International media outlets initially reported that over 500 Palestinians were killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. However, this was later clarified to be a mistranslation, and the Gaza Health Ministry reported a more precise figure of 471 killed and 342 wounded. The board chair of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and US intelligence agencies assessed that the number of deaths was likely closer to 200, while the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which manages the hospital, reported 200 deaths.
The Wall Street Journal was falsely quoted on Twitter as reporting that the bomb dropped on the hospital was an American-made MK-84. A New York Times analysis disputed Israeli claims that the explosion was caused by a malfunctioning long-range rocket fired from Gaza, concluding that it was a rocket fired from an Israeli position near Nahal Oz that exploded over the border, unconnected to the hospital explosion. Investigations by Channel 4 News, Al Jazeera, and research groups Earshot and Forensic Architecture also contested the Israeli claims, with Forensic Architecture concluding that the blast was the result of a munition fired from the direction of Israel.
The explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is one of many strikes on medical facilities in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of civilians and medical professionals and denied Palestinians access to critical medical care. International humanitarian law grants special protection to hospitals and medical facilities, and all parties are called upon to respect and uphold these laws.
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Frequently asked questions
Israel has been accused of bombing hospitals in Gaza, including al-Ahli Arab Hospital, al-Amal Hospital, and Nasser Hospital. Israel has denied these claims, stating that it respects and protects the wounded and sick. However, there is evidence of Israeli attacks on hospitals, and Israel has admitted to raiding Shifa Hospital to target Hamas.
There are conflicting reports about the cause of the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital. While some sources claim Israeli forces bombed the hospital, others suggest that a rocket fired from within Palestinian territory was responsible for the explosion. Israel provided evidence to support its claims, while Hamas did not.
Yes, Israel has been accused of repeatedly raiding and firing upon al-Amal Hospital, resulting in several deaths and injuries.
Israel has been accused of assaulting Nasser Hospital in a week-long siege and shelling operation. Israeli spokespeople claimed that Hamas used the hospital for military operations and to hold Israeli hostages.
Israel has raided Shifa Hospital, claiming to target Hamas in a specified area within the hospital. However, there is no evidence of Hamas controlling infrastructure beneath the hospital presented by the IDF.
