The Anglican-run al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City was severely damaged by an Israeli airstrike in the early hours of Palm Sunday. It was the last remaining functioning hospital in northern Gaza.
Israeli Defense Forces gave an evacuation order to the hospital 20 minutes before the strike. A 13-year-old boy who was receiving treatment for a head injury died during the rushed evacuation, the Diocese of Jerusalem said. Nobody was killed as a direct result of the strike.
Hospitals are protected sites under international law. The IDF defended its attack, saying that a Hamas command and control center was located there.
Hamas has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department since October 1997. It has a long history of operating from protected sites, including hospitals, schools, and United Nations premises, in contravention of international law.
Hamas and Israel have been at war since October 7, 2023, when Hamas murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 240 civilians.
The Palm Sunday strike on al-Ahli came as Israel intensifies its campaign in Gaza since an eight-week ceasefire came to an end on March 18. During the ceasefire, Hamas and Islamic Jihad released 33 hostages in return for the release of almost 3,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Israel has not allowed aid to enter Gaza for several weeks.
In its statement, the Diocese of Jerusalem said that it “condemns in the strongest terms today’s missile attacks on al-Ahli Arab Hospital. The twin strikes demolished the two-story genetic laboratory and damaged the pharmacy of the emergency department buildings. … It also resulted in collateral damage to the surrounding buildings, including the church building of Saint Philip’s.”
The strike on the hospital was the fifth time it has been struck since the beginning of the war in October 2023. The diocese said it was appalled by the attack, and its timing “on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. … We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and the suffering of so many.”
On April 14, al-Ahli’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ahmad Al-Shurafa, told the London-based website The New Arab that the hospital was now completely out of service. “Regrettably, the level of care we can provide is quite similar to that of a hostel. We are unable to perform any surgical procedures, as these patients require laboratory diagnostics, pharmacy support, and emergency referrals in case of complications—all of which have ceased entirely due to the recent attack.”
The Rev. Canon Don Binder is chaplain to the Most Rev. Hosam Naoum, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem. Canon Binder said: “We are awaiting further reports on additional damage to the hospital, and how this will affect the staff’s ability to continue God’s healing ministry to the hundreds of injured and wounded who enter Ahli’s gates each day.
“Not only is Ahli Gaza’s oldest hospital, dating to the 1800s, but it is also the only Christian hospital in the Gaza Strip. An attack on the hospital on Palm Sunday is an affront to all Christians and against all rules of civilized behavior.”
Binder, an Episcopal priest and U.S. citizen, added: “I implore President Trump to keep his promise to bring a speedy end to this monstrous war that has claimed the lives of 50,000+ and caused immeasurable suffering to millions.”
Presiding Bishop Sean W. Rowe is among a number of Anglican and Episcopal leaders around the world who have made similar remarks. “No matter how we understand the causes of violence in the Holy Land, we can surely agree that we must support our fellow Anglicans in alleviating the devastating humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Gaza,” Rowe said in a pastoral letter to the “People of God in The Episcopal Church.”
In addition to calling for prayers for the staff of al-Ahli Hospital, and generous support for the Good Friday Offering, which traditionally is used to support the ministries of the Diocese of Jerusalem, he urged Episcopalians to take political action, encouraging them to “Write to your members of Congress, asking them to support a permanent ceasefire; a just, sustained peace in the Holy Land; and humanitarian aid for those suffering in Gaza.”
The Church of Ireland’s Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev. Michael Jackson, said he felt devastation at seeing footage of the damage and hearing the details of the airstrikes. “Devastation for the people who were clinging on to hope, that they might actually themselves, or see their relatives, survive and get some help, get some dignity and get some medical support.”
The Most Rev. Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York and de facto leader of the Church of England, described al-Ahli as “a place of healing and care for Palestinians living through unimaginable suffering. In unbearable conditions, its heroic doctors and nurses have cared for civilians who have endured 18 months of devastating violence.”
He added: “For the only Christian hospital in Gaza to be attacked on Palm Sunday is especially appalling. I share in the grief of our Palestinian brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Jerusalem. I pray for the staff and patients of the hospital, and for the family of the boy who tragically died during the evacuation.
“At the start of Holy Week, I join the cries of Christians around the world for an end to this violence—and for justice, security, dignity, and peace for Palestinians and Israelis.”
The work of al-Ahli is widely recognized and praised throughout the Anglican Communion. The director of al-Ahli, Dr Suhaila Tarazi, is due to receive an honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary on May 8.
Discussions for a new ceasefire continue. The latest reports suggest that Hamas has offered to demilitarize Gaza under Egyptian supervision, while disputes continue about the release of further hostages. Israel believes that 24 of the remaining 59 Israelis taken during the attacks in 2023 are still alive and remain captive in Gaza.
Gavin Drake is a writer, editor, and producer at Church Street Bureau, a small company providing writing, editorial, and videography services.