Hamas Condemns Hospital Massacre in Gaza as Genocide
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, has condemned the Israeli airstrike that hit the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the middle of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing hundreds of people, as a crime of genocide. Hamas issued a press statement on Wednesday, accusing Israel of arrogance and recklessness and calling for international intervention to stop the aggression.
“The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital massacre in the middle of the Gaza Strip is a crime of genocide. Enough silence over the arrogance and recklessness of the occupation,” the statement said.
The statement added that the attack, which targeted a hospital that was sheltering displaced families, patients, children and women, revealed the truth about Israel and its fascist government and its terrorism, and exposed American and Western support for this criminal occupation entity.
“The international community and the Arab and Islamic countries must assume their responsibility and intervene immediately, now and not tomorrow, to stop the arrogance of the occupation and its fascist army and hold it accountable for the genocide it has been committing for eleven days,” the statement said.
The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was one of the few functioning medical facilities in Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for more than a decade. The hospital was also supported by international humanitarian organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli airstrike killed at least 250 people, including 80 children and 40 women, and wounded more than 500 others. The attack also destroyed most of the hospital’s buildings and equipment, leaving hundreds of patients without access to medical care.
The attack was part of Israel’s ongoing military operation against Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, which began on May 6, 2023, after weeks of escalating tensions over Jerusalem. Israel claims that it is targeting Hamas’s rocket launchers and tunnels, but has also hit civilian infrastructure, such as residential buildings, schools, media offices and power lines.
According to the United Nations, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,000 injured since the start of the conflict. More than 50,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are seeking shelter in UN-run schools and other facilities. The UN has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where water, electricity, food and medicine are scarce.
On the other hand, Israel has reported 12 deaths and more than 300 injuries from Hamas’s rocket fire. Hamas has fired more than 3,000 rockets at Israel since May 6, some of which have reached Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system has intercepted most of the rockets, but some have caused damage and casualties.
The international community has been calling for an immediate ceasefire and a political solution to end the violence. The UN Security Council has held several emergency meetings on the situation, but has failed to issue a joint statement due to US opposition. The US, Israel’s main ally, has said that it supports Israel’s right to self-defense, but has also urged it to avoid civilian casualties.
Several countries have also offered to mediate between Israel and Hamas, such as Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. However, no breakthrough has been achieved so far. Both sides have expressed their conditions for a ceasefire, but have also vowed to continue fighting until their demands are met.
