Israel Air Strike on Ambulance Claims 15 Lives, Injures 60

An Israeli air strike on an ambulance in northern Gaza killed 15 people and injured 60 others on Friday, stated the Hamas- health ministry. This ambulance was evacuating the wounded from besieged Gaza.

However, Israel’s military claimed that the said ambulance was “being used by a Hamas terrorist cell” and Hamas fighters were killed in the air strike.

Ashraf al-Qidra, the spokesperson for Gaza’s health ministry, said Israel had targeted the convoy of ambulances in more than one location, including at the al-Shifa Hospital gate and at Ansar Square a kilometre (0.6 miles) away. Hamas and al-Shifa hospital authorities have denied the facility is used as a base by militant fighters.

World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a social media post said he was “utterly shocked by reports of attacks on ambulances evacuating patients”, adding that patients, health workers and medical facilities must be protected.