Israeli airstrikes struck areas near two major hospitals in Gaza City on Tuesday, a military operation the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said was aimed at senior Hamas commanders operating from within medical facilities. The strikes, which caused significant damage to the al-Shifa and al-Quds hospital complexes, have drawn an immediate call from the British government for an independent investigation.
The IDF stated that the targets were “a number of senior Hamas terrorists” who had embedded themselves in the vicinity of the hospitals, using the civilian infrastructure as cover. The military said it had taken precautions to minimise civilian harm, including the use of precision munitions and advance warnings to hospital staff. A spokesperson said the operation was part of the ongoing campaign to dismantle Hamas’s command and control networks.
Witnesses on the ground described scenes of chaos. The Palestinian Ministry of Health, run by Hamas, reported at least 23 fatalities and more than 80 wounded, most of them patients and medical workers. The ministry accused Israel of committing a “war crime” and said the strikes had rendered both hospitals partially non-functional. Video footage from the scene showed shattered windows, collapsed ceilings, and medical staff scrambling to move patients to safer wards.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed that the strikes had hit the perimeter of al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, and the parking area of al-Quds. A spokesperson said the attacks had endangered hundreds of patients and medical personnel, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities around health facilities.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary, speaking from London, expressed “deep concern” and said the UK would support an independent, impartial inquiry into the incident. “The protection of medical facilities and civilians is a fundamental principle of international humanitarian law,” the Foreign Secretary said. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint and to allow unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.” The statement stopped short of condemning Israel, instead emphasising the need for a transparent investigation.
The United States, in a more measured response, said it was seeking further information from Israel and urged all sides to avoid civilian casualties. A State Department spokesperson reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence but stressed that operations must comply with international law.
Hamas, for its part, denied using hospitals for military purposes and accused Israel of deliberately targeting medical infrastructure. The group called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council and threatened to escalate its rocket attacks into Israel.
The strikes come amid a renewed wave of violence in the region. Israeli forces have been conducting extensive operations in northern Gaza since early October, aimed at degrading Hamas’s military capabilities. The IDF claims to have killed dozens of militants and uncovered numerous weapons caches in and around medical facilities, a charge Hamas has consistently denied.
Humanitarian organisations have raised alarms about the deteriorating situation in Gaza’s health sector. The World Health Organization reported that fewer than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are now functioning, and those that remain are overwhelmed by the influx of casualties and shortages of supplies. The targeting of these two major hospitals is likely to exacerbate the crisis.
International law grants special protection to medical units and transports during armed conflict, provided they are not used for acts harmful to the enemy. The principle of proportionality, which prohibits attacks that cause excessive civilian harm relative to the anticipated military advantage, is also central to the debate. Legal experts say that any independent inquiry would need to weigh the IDF’s claims of operational necessity against the evidence of civilian impact.
As the dust settles on Tuesday’s strikes, the immediate focus turns to the humanitarian fallout. Ambulances have been unable to reach the affected hospitals due to ongoing fighting in the area. The Red Cross has appealed for a humanitarian pause to allow for the evacuation of the wounded and the repair of damaged infrastructure.
The British demand for an independent inquiry adds significant diplomatic pressure on Israel, but it remains unclear whether the Israeli government will cooperate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not yet commented on the request. Meanwhile, the families of the dead and wounded await answers in a conflict that shows no signs of abating.
