The famous Israeli strike at Al Ali Hospital in Gaza, the last major hospital providing important health care in northern Gaza, has sparked condemnation in Palestine and around the world as Israel continues to attack health care facilities.
Israel claimed on Sunday that it attacked Hamas Command and Control Center at the hospital without providing evidence, but Hamas denied the allegations.
The Anglican parish in Jerusalem, which runs Al Ali Hospital, condemned the attack, saying it happened at “Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, the holiest week of the Christian year.”
The twin strikes say they destroyed the hospital’s two-storey genetic lab and destroyed the pharmacy and emergency department buildings.
The High Presidential Commission on Palestinian Church Affairs, affiliated with the Church of England, said the attack constituted “a serious violation of religious sanctity and the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”
Commission head Ramzi Cooley argued that the attack was a direct humiliation against Palestinian Christians and the global Christian community.
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of England of York, said in a statement Sunday: “Our hospital run by the Anglican Church in Gaza is a place of healing and care for Palestinians who live through unimaginable suffering. In an unbearable state, its heroic doctors and nurses cared for civilians who have endured 18 months of devastating violence.”
“It is particularly frightening that Gaza’s only Christian hospital will be attacked by Palm Sunday. I share the sadness of my Palestinian brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Jerusalem,” he said.
Gaza’s health ministry said the bombing forced patients and staff to evacuate. “We are calling on international organizations and relevant authorities to protect the health sector in accordance with international law and agreements,” the statement said.
“The vicious attacks” are part of a series of attacks targeting hospitals, schools, shelters and tents displaced in Gaza, in the context of a systematic war of extinction that violates all human and moral standards.”
The PIJ accused Israel of sowed panic between patients and staff by issuing warnings just before the strike. “The international silence in Gaza forces it to become a cemetery of law and humanity,” he added.
International condemnation: “Attacks on health care must be stopped”
Hospitals have special protection under international law. Israel nevertheless sieges them several times, attacking multiple, accusing them of using Hamas as a cover for fighter jets. Last month, Israel struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the largest hospital in southern Gaza, killing two people and causing a major fire.
World Health Organization Director (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the hospital was not working and the child died as a result of disruption in care.
The hospital was also forced to move 50 patients to other medical centers, but was unable to move 40 important patients, Tedros added.
“The attacks on healthcare must stop,” the WHO chief wrote about X.
#Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital has stopped services following evacuation orders and attacks this morning. The child died due to disruption in care.
Emergency rooms, laboratory rooms, emergency rooms x-ray devices, pharmacies…
– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@drdedros) April 13, 2025
British Foreign Minister David Lamy said the bombing of Israeli medical facilities had “access to comprehensively degraded medical care” at the enclave.
“Since the conflict began, Al Ali Hospital has been repeatedly attacked. These deplorable attacks must end. Diplomacy is no longer bloodshed,” Ramie writes to X.
Qatar said the last attack on the functional hospital in northern Gaza was a “terrifying massacre and heinous crimes against civilians” that constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the growing cycle of violence across the region, saying the international community must assume responsibility for protecting civilians.
Jordan also condemned the systematic targeting of Israeli civilians in Gaza and the destruction of critical facilities providing essential services to its population.
Egypt also issued a statement calling the attack a serious violation of international humanitarian law and international norms, calling for the intervention of the international community to stop the attack.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Bearbock questioned the strike modality but stopped denounce the attack. “The cruel Hamas fears must be fought. However, international humanitarian law has a special obligation to protect civilian areas. How can hospitals evacuate within 20 minutes?” she asked in X’s post.
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