Gaza: Hell on Earth

NT Bureau

Tel Aviv/Gaza City: Israeli airstrikes targeted three Gaza hospitals and a school on Friday, resulting in the death of several individuals.

Meanwhile, a ground battle was ongoing at another hospital in the heart of the enclave. At least 50 were killed after Israeli missiles and artillery hit Gaza school sheltering inter nally displaced people.

People fleeing on the main road towards southern Gaza also came under attack, witnesses told Al Jazeera.

The relentless Israeli bombardment has damaged more than 50 per cent of housing units across Gaza, according to officials. The UN’s humanitarian office issued a statement saying if there is a hell on Earth, it is northern Gaza.

According to Palestinian officials, missiles struck the courtyard of Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, caused damage to the Indonesian Hospital and reportedly ignited a fire at the Nasser Rantissi Pediatric Cancer Hospital.

The affected hospitals are located in northern Gaza, an area Israel claims is concentrated with Hamas militants responsible for last month's attacks. The region is also populated with displaced individuals, patients, and medical staff.

Israel alleges that Hamas is using these facilities as human shields, a claim denied by the group.

Selmeyah said later that at least 20 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Al-Buraq school in Gaza City, where people whose homes had been destroyed were sheltering.

The head of Al-Shifa Medical Complex has called today’s attacks against his hospital and several others a “day of war against hospitals”, adding that it was “tragic in every sense of the word”.

“The sick and wounded occupy all of the hospital’s corridors, and we cannot perform surgical operations,” said Muhammad Abu Salmiya, speaking to Al Jazeera.

“We cannot find a single bed to place victims on,” he added. “We are taking difficult decisions between who to save and who to let die … as I speak to you I am standing in front of 100 dead bodies.”

Israel did not immediately comment on the reports. It says it does not aim its attacks at civilians and tries to protect them, but that Hamas militants have hidden command centres and tunnels beneath Shifa and other hospitals, according to a Reuters report.

The armed wing of Hamas told Reuters on Friday it was still firing rockets and shells into Israel and fighting off troops in Gaza.

Gaza’s health ministry says the number of Palestinians killed since October 7 has risen to 11,078, including at least 4,506 children.

‘Utter lie that Hamas centre under hospital'

More from Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who spoke to Al Jazeera earlier, and responded to the Israeli claim that al-Shifa, Gaza City’s largest hospital, provides cover for a Hamas command centre.

“This is false, these are utter lies,” said Abu Salmiya. “This is a civilian hospital. We cater to more than 1.5 million Gazans.”

“The Israeli occupation forces are fully aware that this is a totally safe area. They are certain that there is no command centre or any tunnels under these hospitals.