Archbishop of Canterbury condemns closure of al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for hospitals in Gaza to be protected under international humanitarian law, following the closure of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. “In the face of intense Israeli bombardment, this closure puts injured and sick people in even greater danger,” Archbishop Justin Welby wrote in a post on X.
Large amounts of Israeli drone fire occurred in the hospital’s immediate vicinity on Sunday evening, and a statement issued by the Diocese of Jerusalem said the Anglican-run facility had been “compelled to close by the Israeli army”.
“This was followed by an [Israeli military] announcement that the area had been declared a red zone and that everyone should immediately evacuate all the buildings including everyone in the hospital,” the statement said.
Hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law.
I stand with my brother Archbishop Hosam Naoum in protesting the closure and evacuation of the Anglican-run Al Ahli hospital in Gaza in the strongest possible terms. And I condemn the attack on an ambulance en… pic.twitter.com/z4kZPX2huu
— Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) July 8, 2024
Al-Ahli Arab Hospital abandoned after Israeli evacuation order
The al-Ahli Arab Hospital after patients and staff left following an Israeli military evacuation order for parts of Gaza City, July 08
The hospital is managed by the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and had set up a temporary ward in a church building to treat wounded Palestinians.
Scenes inside hospital wards and operating rooms indicate patients and staff left quickly, with signs the hospital was treating severe injuries moments beforehand evacuation.
Red Crescent says all of its medical facilities out of service in Gaza City
Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society, has said Israel’s latest evacuation orders in Gaza City took all of the medical facilities affiliated with the medical charity out of service.
The directive displaced thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip’s largest city, prompting Hamas to warn of “catastrophic consequences”. The UN estimates at least nine out of 10 people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced at least once since October 7.
