Breaking: Israeli Airstrike Hits Gaza Hospital Courtyard, Killing 4 and Injuring 40

Four people were killed on Sunday by an Israeli airstrike targeting a hospital courtyard in central Gaza, where displaced Palestinians had been seeking refuge, according to officials from Al Aqsa hospital and civil defense. The Gaza Government Media Office reported that another 40 people were injured in the strike.

Approximately 5,000 people had been sheltering at the hospital grounds, according to hospital officials. The Gaza Government Media Office stated that this was the seventh time the camp within the Al-Aqsa hospital grounds in Deir al-Balah had been hit since January. The office called on the international community to intervene and pressure Israel to halt attacks against civilians.

In response, the Israeli military said it carried out a targeted strike on a Hamas command center that had been situated within a compound that formerly housed the Shuhadah Al-Aqsa hospital. The military added that it took precautions to avoid civilian casualties and placed the blame on Hamas for using civilian infrastructure.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Sunday claimed at least 40 lives, including 13 children, with many of the injured brought to Al-Aqsa hospital for treatment.