An Israeli drone strike on tents surrounding the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza resulted in casualties on Sunday. The strike killed at least two people and wounded over a dozen others, according to a hospital spokesperson. The hospital grounds are currently hosting thousands of displaced individuals, along with several journalist teams working from tents in the area. Al-Aqsa is the sole operational medical facility in the central city of Deir al-Balah.
Videos shared by journalists captured the chaotic aftermath of the strike, showing people running for cover amidst flying debris. Some rushed to aid the injured and extinguish small fires that broke out in the area.
The Israeli military, in a statement, claimed that the drone strike targeted an 'operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists' located in the hospital's courtyard. However, no evidence was provided to support this assertion. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the operation was designed to minimize harm to civilians and prevent damage to the main hospital building.
Journalist accounts of the incident described the strike as a direct hit on the journalists' tents, which were situated among those of displaced individuals seeking refuge at the hospital's emergency entrance. Witnesses emphasized that the displaced people were uninvolved civilians, including a teacher and a doctor, who were not affiliated with any militant activities.
Footage captured by a CNN stringer depicted the destruction caused to the journalists' tents and equipment. The video showed individuals inspecting the damaged tarp tents and salvaging belongings from the blood-stained wreckage.
