Israeli Attack Hits Hospital In Gaza, 46 Palestinians Killed

JAKARTA - At least 46 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip on Thursday, mostly in the north where one attack hit a hospital, burned medical supplies and disrupted operations, the Palestinian enclave health official said.

The Israeli military accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of using Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya for military purposes and said "tens of terrorists" had been hiding there. Health officials and Hamas denied the allegations.

Thursday's Israeli airstrikes against two houses in the Nuseirat camp in Gaza killed at least 16 Palestinians, medical officers at Al-Awda Hospital at the camp told Reuters.

The dead included a paramedics and two local journalists, they added.

North Gaza, where Israel said in January it had dismantled the Hamas command structure, is currently the main focus of military attacks in the enclave.

Earlier this month, Israel sent tanks to Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya to expel the militants it said had reunited.

Separately, Eid Sabbah, director of nursing at Kamal Adwan - who is in Beit Lahiya - told Reuters some staff suffered minor burns after an Israeli attack hit the hospital's third floor.

There were no reports of casualties at the hospital, which were invaded and occupied by Israeli forces last week. Israel said it had arrested about 100 Hamas militant suspects in the attack. Israeli tanks are still stationed nearby.

Meanwhile, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip called on all international agencies "to protect hospitals and medical staff from occupational brutality (Israel)".

The Israeli military said its forces were operating in the hospital area based on intelligence information about the existence of terrorists and the surrounding terror infrastructure.

"During the operation, dozens of terrorists were found hiding in hospital, some even posing as hospital staff," the military said in a statement Thursday.

It is known that the latest conflict in Gaza broke out after a militant group led by Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and another 251 being held hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Meanwhile, the WAFA news agency reported that the death toll from Palestine as of Thursday had reached 43,204 while 101,640 others were injured.

In addition, at least 10,000 people are still not found, estimated to have died under the rubble of their homes throughout the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian and international organizations say that most of the dead and injured were women and children.