Israel Strikes An Ambulance Close To A Hospital In Gaza; 15 People Are Confirmed Dead

The health ministry of the Hamas-controlled enclave reported that an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance transporting injured persons from besieged northern Gaza on Friday resulted in 15 fatalities and 60 injuries.

An ambulance “being used by a Hamas terrorist cell” was struck, according to the Israeli military. It claimed that the strike had killed Hamas fighters and charged the organization with using ambulances to transport weapons and terrorists.

Izzat El Reshiq, a representative for Hamas, called the accusations that its fighters were present “baseless”. According to Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for Gaza’s health ministry, Israel struck a convoy that included the ambulance and was located close to the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

According to Qidra, Israel had attacked the ambulance caravan at several points, including the gate of al-Shifa Hospital and Ansar Square, which was 0.6 miles (or a kilometer) distant.

Israel’s military issued a statement after the incident in which it stated that it planned to provide more information, but it did not provide any evidence to back up its claim that the ambulance was associated with Hamas.

We want to make it clear that this is a combat zone. For their own protection, civilians in the region are frequently asked to flee south,” the military stated.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims made by either party.

individuals were seen running to help in a video posted on social media, which Reuters has confirmed shows individuals lying in blood close to an ambulance on a downtown street with flashing lights.

In a different video, there were three ambulances arranged in a line, and next to them were roughly a dozen people who were either barely moving or not moving at all. Blood puddled next to it.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, stated on social media that he was “utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients” and that medical facilities, patients, and healthcare personnel needed to be safeguarded.

Earlier on Friday, Qidra announced that ambulances would transport severely injured Palestinians from besieged Gaza City to the southern part of the enclave, to Egypt, for immediate medical attention.

Israel issued an order last month for all residents to evacuate the northern part of Gaza, and on Thursday, its soldiers surrounded the area. Israel has accused Hamas of hiding command centers and tunnel entrances at al-Shifa Hospital.

Israel’s military has persisted in bombing Gaza’s southern regions even after ordering civilians to leave the northern regions.

Authorities from Hamas and al-Shifa Hospital have refuted claims that militant fighters use the building as a base.