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.
CNN, along with other news organizations, had periodically used material provided by Eslaiah. CNN cut ties with him in November 2023 after new allegations emerged of links to Hamas. CNN said he was not working with the network on October 7, 2023.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who's who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran - who has been left out of the planning?
President Donald Trump let it be known on Thursday that he will make a decision on whether to involve the U.S. in Israel's war with Iran within the next two weeks, as tensions over the question continue to divide conservatives. The president, who signed off on attack plans on Tuesday but resisted giving the go-ahead, is reportedly taking soundings from a small coterie of trusted advisers while also throwing the conversation open to fellow world leaders, as well as allies such as the hawkish Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Outside of his inner circle, MAGA personalities Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, and Candace Owens have been speaking out against the prospect of the U.S. wading into another prolonged Middle Eastern war. At the same time, other Trump cheerleaders on Capitol Hill and the media have made the case for intervention. Here's a look at the people Trump is listening to, according to NBC News. Vice President Vance has previously struck a non-interventionist posture on foreign wars, notably opposing American support for Ukraine. He appears to favor a diplomatic solution to the dispute with Iran, applauding Trump for showing 'remarkable restraint' and making the safety of American troops and assets his top priority. The president's White House Chief of Staff and former campaign manager is known as the 'Ice Maiden' and regarded as an important restraining presence, in place to shield Trump from his own worst instincts. A senior adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Miller is known as an anti-immigration hardliner and one of the faces of Trump's mass deportation push. A regular talking head on conservative media loathed by liberals, Miller has reportedly been nicknamed 'Weird Stephen' behind the scenes by the president, which does not suggest he commands the level of respect to which he aspires. Once a bitter enemy of Trump and rival for the Republican nomination, the Secretary of State now has such a full plate he has been dubbed the 'Secretary of Everything.' Rubio was out quickly last week to deny American involvement in Israel's initial onslaught but has since largely left the public messaging to the president. Trump's Middle East envoy, like him, a former luxury real estate developer, has led talks with both Israel and Iran since taking office earlier this year and, like Rubio, has cut a busy figure, also serving as the president's de facto liaison with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The lieutenant general serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff boasts the tough-guy nickname 'Razin' Caine' and previously served as a counterterrorism specialist to George W. Bush's Homeland Security Council. He reportedly first befriended Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019 and impressed him by suggesting that Isis could be stamped out within a week. 'One week? I was told two years!' Trump marvelled. The head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is a career army officer who also has a cool nickname, 'The Gorilla.' He has reportedly been granted an unprecedented amount of leeway by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He has seen an increasing allocation of resources to his areas of responsibility, which include the Middle East. The CIA Director is an influential voice, having also served in the first Trump administration. He was previously a Texas congressman and a mayor of a small town. Two names conspicuous by their absence from that list are Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell has pushed back against the suggestion that Hegseth has been sidelined. 'This claim is completely false,' he told NBC. 'The secretary is speaking with the president multiple times a day, and has been with the president in the Situation Room this week. 'Secretary Hegseth is providing the leadership the Department of Defense and our Armed Forces need, and he will continue to work diligently in support of President Trump's peace through strength agenda.' Trump is meanwhile reported to have fallen out with Gabbard for going 'off-message' after she posted a video on X attacking the 'political elite and warmongers' for 'carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers' and placing the world 'on the brink of nuclear annihilation.' Asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins aboard Air Force One about Gabbard's statement to Congress in March that, although Iran's enriched uranium levels are at an all-time high, the expert opinion is that Tehran is not currently seeking to develop a nuclear bomb. 'I don't care what she said,' the president snapped. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.' One Trump supporter to deny any involvement in Trump's discussions about the conflict is MAGA die-hard Laura Loomer, who attacked former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson on X on Thursday night for reporting that she was playing an advisory role, dismissing the claim as 'fake news.'
CNBC
35 minutes ago
- CNBC
Israel's economy minister: Focused on making sure Iran never has the capabilities of nukes
Israel Minster of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict, what Israel hopes to achieve in its campaign against Iran, the role of U.S. going forward, and more.
Boston Globe
38 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Pro-Palestinian activists say they damaged planes on a UK air force base
The activists left the base without being detained, Palestine Action said. The group said in a statement that 'despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets.' It called the U.K. 'an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.' Britain's Ministry of Defense confirmed the incident, saying: 'We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets.' Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the vandalism 'disgraceful' in a post on X. Advertisement The government said two planes were being checked for damage, and that the vandalism had not stopped any planned aircraft movements or operations. 'A full security review is underway at Brize Norton,' Starmer's office said. 'We are reviewing security across the whole defense estate.' Planes from Brize Norton, 70 miles northwest of London, regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Britain's main air base for operations in the Middle East. The U.K. has sent more Typhoon fighter jets and Voyager tankers to Cyprus since the Israel-Iran war started a week ago for what Starmer called 'contingency support.' Advertisement Iran has threatened to attack US, French and British bases in the region if those countries help Israel fend off Iranian strikes. Thames Valley Police said in a statement that it had 'received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage.' Officers were working with staff at the base and the Ministry of Defense Police to arrest the perpetrators, the force said.
