By Nour Abuaisha
GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Hamas on Friday condemned an Israeli airstrike on a residential neighborhood near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, which killed at least 24 Palestinians and injured dozens more.
In a statement, Hamas slammed the Israeli army for its subsequent incursion into the hospital, where patients and medical staff were forcibly evacuated and several people were detained.
The group described the ongoing attacks as "systematic destruction targeting Gaza's essential infrastructure, particularly hospitals, as part of a broader campaign of genocide."
"The Israeli occupation is committing war crimes against our people in Gaza, acting with blatant disregard for international laws and norms," Hamas said, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to condemn the attacks and dispatch investigative teams to assess the damage to Gaza's health care system.
Hamas has also called on the international community and the UN to end the "shameful silence" and take immediate measures to protect civilians.
Israel launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza on Oct. 5 to "prevent" the Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents.
More than 3,500 people have since been reported dead and missing, according to local health authorities.
Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 44,600 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi