Israel hits Gaza hospital as strikes resume following hostage release

Israel struck a hospital in Gaza early Tuesday, a day after briefly pausing military activity for the release of Israeli-American Edan Alexander by Hamas.

The Israeli military resumed strikes in Gaza about an hour after Alexander left the territory, hitting the Al Daraj neighborhood in northern Gaza on Monday evening, before striking the Nasser medical complex in southern Gaza on Tuesday, according to hospital officials.

The IDF strike targeted the surgical ward on the hospital’s third floor, which is now “completely out of service,” killing two patients and wounding medical staff, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said.

The target of the strike appeared to be Hassan Eslaiah, a prominent Gaza photojournalist. He was being treated at the hospital after being wounded in an earlier targeted Israeli airstrike in April.

The IDF claimed at the time of the April strike that Eslaiah had taken part in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 and belonged to Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, although it did not provide evidence to support the claim. It asserted that he worked “under the guise of a journalist and owns a press company.” On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it “precisely struck significant Hamas terrorists” at Nasser hospital, but did not name Eslaiah.

Eslaiah crossed into Israel on October 7, 2023, documenting the attacks in photographs that were published by multiple major news organizations. He had previously said he had no forewarning of the attacks and rushed to the scene to document a major news event alongside other photojournalists.

Eslaiah said from his hospital bed in April that he faced “false allegations” from the IDF and that he was “not fighting or anything.”

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Journalists Protection Center condemned Eslaiah’s killing, demanding an international investigation into what they described as a “heinous assassination.” The center called Eslaiah’s killing the “deliberate targeting of the voice of truth.”

The Nasser hospital strike on Tuesday is the latest example of deliberate Israeli attacks on medical facilities in Gaza, for which Israel has been accused of violating international law.

Hospitals are entitled to special protections during armed conflict under international humanitarian law and can only be targeted under extremely limited circumstances, such as if they are being used to actively commit “an act harmful to the enemy,” according to the Geneva Conventions.

The latest attack on Nasser hospital “totally destroyed” two patient rooms, partially damaged three others and a nursing station, according to MAP’s medical activity coordinator who is based at Nasser Hospital.

“The extension of the intensive care unit, which contains three ICU beds, was also affected – its electrical and oxygen systems were damaged in the strike – rendering the entire section non-operational,” the coordinator said in a statement provided by MAP.

The strike adds to an already rapidly deteriorating situation for Gaza’s medical facilities.

Nasser hospital’s medical director Dr. Atef Al-Hout said the hospital is rapidly running out of fuel to power its generators amid Israel’s now 10-week blockade of the strip.

Following the release of Alexander, the Israeli American hostage, the United States is renewing its push for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

An Israeli delegation was set to fly to Qatar on Tuesday to resume negotiations, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed those talks will continue “under fire,” with no slowdown in Israeli strikes expected without a deal.