The already battered health system in Gaza faced another devastating blow yesterday as an Israeli airstrike, described by the military as a targeted operation against Hamas commanders, hit a residential area near the Al-Shifa hospital complex. Local medics reported at least 40 dead and over 100 wounded, with many trapped under rubble. The hospital, already running on backup generators and scarce supplies, became a scene of chaos as paramedics and volunteers scrambled to treat the influx of casualties.
Witnesses described a series of explosions that shook buildings kilometres away. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike, stating it was aimed at 'senior Hamas operatives' involved in recent attacks. They said the operation used precise munitions to minimise civilian casualties, but residents and aid workers dispute this, pointing to the high number of women and children among the dead.
'We are working beyond our capacity,' said Dr. Mahmoud al-Husseini, a surgeon at Al-Shifa. 'We have people on the floors, in corridors. We lack anaesthetics, bandages, clean water. This is not a military target. This is a massacre.'
The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have condemned the strike, calling for an immediate ceasefire. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its ambulances were unable to reach some areas due to ongoing bombardment. The incident threatens to derail fragile ceasefire talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
For ordinary Gazans, the cost of this conflict is measured in bread queues and IDP camps. Over 1.5 million people have been displaced, many sleeping in the open. The price of basic food has tripled, and the UN warns of famine. This latest escalation, billed as a surgical strike, has only deepened the feeling that nowhere is safe.
The war, now in its fifth month, has seen over 30,000 Palestinian deaths according to the Gaza health ministry, with thousands more missing. International pressure is mounting on Israel to limit civilian harm, but the bombing continues. As the sun set over the rubble, rescue workers using their bare hands searched for survivors. The world watches, but the bodies keep coming.
