An Israeli airstrike targeted an ambulance convoy near a hospital in Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 15 individuals and injuring 60 others, according to reports from the Palestinian territory’s health ministry.
The health ministry stated that these ambulances were transporting injured individuals to Egypt for medical attention.
In response, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the airstrike and claimed that several Hamas operatives were killed during the strike.
Gaza health ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al Qidra, detailed that the airstrike specifically targeted the hospital’s entrance and at the nearby Ansar Square.
The Hamas-led health ministry expressed its dismay, stating it had previously informed parties including the Red Cross, Egypt, and international media about the planned movement of ambulances carrying injured individuals to Egypt. Nevertheless, the strike proceeded.
The International Committee of the Red Cross affirmed that it was made aware of the convoy’s movement by Gaza’s health ministry.
Elaborating on the incident, an IDF statement read, “An IDF aircraft targeted an ambulance identified by our forces as being utilized by a Hamas cell near their position in the conflict area.” The statement further claimed that the IDF has evidence suggesting Hamas’s strategy includes transporting operatives and weapons using ambulances. The IDF reiterated the volatile nature of the region and has frequently advised civilians to move southward for safety.
Prior to this event, the IDF had rationalized its targeting of infrastructures like hospitals, schools, and mosques in Gaza, alleging Hamas’s use of such sites for its operations. A video shared by the IDF on a social media platform posed the question of the locations of Hamas’s operational centers, suggesting they could be under schools, universities, mosques, or hospitals.
In a related incident, 20 individuals reportedly lost their lives when a school used as a refuge was impacted in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp last Thursday.
