At least three Palestinians were killed, and 40 others injured, following an Israeli airstrike on tents sheltering displaced civilians in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza early Monday, according to local reports.
The attack ignited a fire among the tents, which were located in the hospital grounds in the central city of Deir al-Balah, as reported by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Hospital officials told WAFA that many civilians were either killed or injured in the strike, stressing that the hospital was overwhelmed with the wounded. A statement from the government media office in Gaza confirmed this was the seventh such attack by the Israeli military on the displaced civilians’ tents at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Previous strikes on the hospital compound occurred on multiple occasions, including January 10, March 13, July 22, August 4, and September 27 of the same year.
The escalation follows the continuation of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, which began after Hamas launched a cross-border attack on October 7 last year. This offensive persists despite calls for a ceasefire from the UN Security Council.
Local health authorities report that the conflict has resulted in more than 42,200 deaths, mostly women and children, and left over 98,400 people injured.
Almost the entire population of Gaza has been displaced, exacerbated by an ongoing blockade that has caused critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.