The Israeli army bombed the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital in northern Gaza, claiming that it was being used by Hamas as a “military command center.”

The Israeli army conducted an airstrike on the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, alleging that it was being used by Hamas for military purposes. In a statement by the army, it was claimed that the hospital in northern Gaza was being used by Hamas as a “military command center.”

The statement also mentioned that the Israeli army, claiming to have been targeted from there, stated that the hospital had been “rendered inoperative.” Local sources confirmed that the hospital and the adjacent Islamic University Medical School were destroyed. The hospital had been used as a military base by the Israeli army during the ground invasion of Gaza after October 7, 2023. The hospital, located on the Netzarim Corridor dividing the Gaza Strip north-south, had numerous military vehicles of the Israeli army stationed inside and around it. The images shared on social media showing Israeli soldiers damaging medical equipment inside the hospital had sparked outrage.

Consisting of 8 blocks, the Palestine-Turkey Friendship Hospital, built by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in Gaza Strip between 2011-2017, included 4 operating theatres, intensive care units, laboratories, and 180 rooms in a total of 33,400 square meters of closed area. Despite remaining structurally intact during the 15-month Israeli attacks following the ceasefire that came into effect on January 19, there was significant damage to the equipment inside. According to data released by the World Health Organization, out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, only 18 were able to operate in the face of Israeli army attacks. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about Israel’s systematic attacks on the health system in Gaza in a report, highlighting that 136 bombardments had targeted 27 hospitals and 12 health centers in less than a year.