Israeli Airstrikes Kill Two in Gaza, Damage Hospital Warehouses

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed two Palestinians and caused significant damage to medical supply warehouses at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Palestinian health officials and civil defense sources reported the casualties and damage following strikes in various areas of the Gaza Strip.

The Al-Shifa hospital received one fatality and several injured individuals after an Israeli drone targeted a group in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. Another Palestinian was killed and seven were injured in a similar strike in Deir al-Balah, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. The Israeli military stated that one of the strikes targeted a Hamas operative and that five facilities used by the group for weapons storage were destroyed.

In Deir al-Balah, the civil defense reported that an Israeli raid severely damaged the hospital's medicine and medical supply warehouses. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed that two of four storage facilities were destroyed and the other two were significantly damaged, along with the adjacent outpatient clinic building. The ministry added that substantial quantities of medicines and medical supplies were lost or damaged.

These developments follow Hamas's announcement the previous day of reaching an agreement on its disarmament as part of a US-proposed peace plan. This plan reportedly includes a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, an Israeli political source emphasized that any withdrawal would not occur before the actual disarmament of Hamas is implemented. A Hamas political bureau member, Basim Naim, stated that the ball is now in Israel's court and urged mediators to pressure Israel to cease military operations and violations, despite a ceasefire having been in place for over nine months.

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The ball is currently in the Israeli occupation's court