IDF Targets Hamas in Gaza, Civilian Casualties Reported at Al-Aqsa Hospital
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday that it targeted a Hamas terror command center located within the compound of a medical center in the Gaza Strip overnight. The airstrike, which hit the Al-Aqsa Hospital compound in Deir al-Balah, reportedly killed three Palestinians and wounded 40 others, according to Palestinian medical officials.
The IDF defended the strike, stating that Hamas was using the hospital as a base for terror operations and accused the group of embedding itself within civilian areas. “Hamas uses hospitals as shields for their terror operations,” said an IDF spokesperson.
Graphic footage circulating on social media purportedly shows the aftermath of the strike, with tents ablaze and secondary explosions, although the cause of the explosions remains unclear.
This incident follows reports of Israeli tank shelling on Sunday evening, which Palestinian officials say killed at least 22 people at a school in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where displaced families were taking shelter. The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced at least once since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted a year ago.
The IDF is currently investigating the reports of the school shelling but reiterated that Hamas uses civilian infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals, as cover for its military activities. Israel has emphasized its efforts to minimize civilian casualties while continuing its operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian health officials report that more than 40,000 people have been killed or are presumed dead in the conflict.
