Israeli airstrike hits hospital entrance in Gaza, kills medic

Deir Al-Balah, April 15: An Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing a medic and wounding nine other people — all patients and medics — according to a spokesman for the hospital in the Muwasi area, where hundreds of thousands have sought shelter in sprawling tent camps.
The wounded were all patients and medics, and two of the patients were in critical condition after the strike, said Saber Mohammed, a hospital spokesman.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
The military has struck hospitals on several occasions during the 18-month war, accusing Hamas militants of hiding out in them or using them for military purposes. Hospital staff have denied the allegations and accused Israel of recklessly endangering civilians and gutting the territory’s health system.
On Sunday, Israel struck the last major hospital providing critical care in northern Gaza after ordering an evacuation. A patient died during the evacuation, and the strike severely damaged the emergency room, pharmacy and surrounding buildings, according to Al-Ahli Hospital.
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which runs the hospital, condemned the strike.
Israel said it targeted a Hamas command and control centre within the facility, without providing evidence. Hamas denied the allegations.
Netanyahu rejects Palestinian state
In the call with Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the creation of a Palestinian state would be “a huge reward for terrorism” and result in a militant-run entity just miles from Israeli cities.
In his own statement posted on X, French President Emmanuel Macron called for another ceasefire, the release of hostages and renewing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has blocked for over a month. He did not mention recognition of a Palestinian state.
Macron said last week that France should aim to recognize a Palestinian state by June when it joins Saudi Arabia in hosting an international conference on implementing a two-state solution.
The creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is widely seen internationally as the only realistic way to resolve the decades-old conflict. Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians want all three for a future state. The last serious and substantive peace talks broke down after Netanyahu returned to power in 2009.
A number of European states have recently recognized a Palestinian state in what is largely a symbolic move aimed at reviving the peace process. (AP)