As flames engulfed Al Ahli Arab Hospital, patients — including children with amputated limbs — were given just 20 minutes to flee. One wrong move, and they would have joined the growing list of casualties in Gaza’s healthcare catastrophe.
The last fully functional hospital in Gaza City, Al Ahli Arab, was partially destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, leaving critically injured patients scrambling for survival. Witnesses described the intensive care and surgery units collapsing under missile fire, with social media footage showing thick smoke and panicked evacuations. Among the chaos, a child with a prior head injury died during the rushed escape — a tragic consequence of what the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem called an “appalling” attack on Palm Sunday. The hospital, run by the Anglican Church, had been a lifeline for thousands, now reduced to rubble.
The IDF claimed the strike targeted a Hamas “command and control center” inside the hospital, insisting they issued warnings and used precision munitions. Yet, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported the building was “completely destroyed,” forcing patients and staff into the streets. A local journalist revealed that doctors received a chilling phone call from the IDF: “You have 20 minutes to leave.” With no time to properly evacuate bedridden patients, medical staff faced an impossible choice — abandon the vulnerable or risk staying in a collapsing structure.
Among those who barely escaped was Khalil Bakr, who fled with his three severely injured daughters — one missing a leg, another an arm, and the third with platinum plates holding her body together. “Only two minutes separated us from death,” he told BBC Arabic. His account underscores the human cost of an attack that Israel defends as a necessary military operation. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Minister condemned the strike, calling it part of a pattern that has “comprehensively degraded healthcare in Gaza.”
This isn’t the first time Al Ahli Arab has been hit. In October 2023, an explosion here killed hundreds, sparking a blame game between Israel and Palestinian factions. Now, history repeats itself — another strike, another wave of suffering. With Al-Shifa Hospital already destroyed, Gaza City has lost its final major medical facility, leaving thousands without access to critical care.
The political fallout is escalating, with the Hamas-run government accusing Israel of a “horrific crime,” while Israel maintains its actions are justified against Hamas’ alleged use of hospitals as shields. But for the civilians caught in the crossfire, the debate is meaningless — what matters is survival. As one doctor put it: “We’re not just fighting injuries; we’re fighting extinction.”
The last fully functional hospital in Gaza City, Al Ahli Arab, was partially destroyed in an Israeli airstrike, leaving critically injured patients scrambling for survival. Witnesses described the intensive care and surgery units collapsing under missile fire, with social media footage showing thick smoke and panicked evacuations. Among the chaos, a child with a prior head injury died during the rushed escape — a tragic consequence of what the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem called an “appalling” attack on Palm Sunday. The hospital, run by the Anglican Church, had been a lifeline for thousands, now reduced to rubble.
The IDF claimed the strike targeted a Hamas “command and control center” inside the hospital, insisting they issued warnings and used precision munitions. Yet, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported the building was “completely destroyed,” forcing patients and staff into the streets. A local journalist revealed that doctors received a chilling phone call from the IDF: “You have 20 minutes to leave.” With no time to properly evacuate bedridden patients, medical staff faced an impossible choice — abandon the vulnerable or risk staying in a collapsing structure.
Among those who barely escaped was Khalil Bakr, who fled with his three severely injured daughters — one missing a leg, another an arm, and the third with platinum plates holding her body together. “Only two minutes separated us from death,” he told BBC Arabic. His account underscores the human cost of an attack that Israel defends as a necessary military operation. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Minister condemned the strike, calling it part of a pattern that has “comprehensively degraded healthcare in Gaza.”
This isn’t the first time Al Ahli Arab has been hit. In October 2023, an explosion here killed hundreds, sparking a blame game between Israel and Palestinian factions. Now, history repeats itself — another strike, another wave of suffering. With Al-Shifa Hospital already destroyed, Gaza City has lost its final major medical facility, leaving thousands without access to critical care.
The political fallout is escalating, with the Hamas-run government accusing Israel of a “horrific crime,” while Israel maintains its actions are justified against Hamas’ alleged use of hospitals as shields. But for the civilians caught in the crossfire, the debate is meaningless — what matters is survival. As one doctor put it: “We’re not just fighting injuries; we’re fighting extinction.”
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