The Israeli military confirmed it carried out a strike on the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City today prompting protests from the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Archbishop of York.
In an official statement, posted on 5 June 2025, the IDF stated it “precisely struck an Islamic Jihad terrorist who was operating in a command-and-control centre” located within the hospital grounds.
“The terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to use the [al-Ahli] hospital for terrorist purposes, cynically and cruelly exploiting the civilian population in and around the hospital. Prior to the attack, steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weapons, aerial observations, and additional intelligence information.”
The strike killed at least five people, including three journalists, according to the Episcopal Church, which manages the hospital. The diocese condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms” and reported that about 30 others were injured, including hospital staff.
The BBC reports the journalists killed were members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)’s press team. Israel has accused terror groups of exploiting civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools for military purposes, a tactic Hamas has historically used. In 2021 Reuters reported that the late Yahya Sinwar (the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel) claimed 500 km of military tunnels had been dug around Gaza, including some under hospitals, schools, mosques and churches.
The Israeli military did not immediately provide further evidence to support its claim that a PIJ command center was present at the hospital. In previous incidents involving strikes on medical facilities, Israel has justified its actions by alleging militant activity within or near those sites, but has often not made detailed evidence public. Palestinian authorities and hospital administrators have consistently denied the presence of armed groups within medical facilities and have called such attacks war crime
The Archbishop of York “condemn[ed] yet another callous, reckless attack on the Anglican-run Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Despite our repeated requests, the Israeli Government has been unable to prove its claims that Al-Ahli Hospital has been used by Hamas.”
The al-Ahli Hospital is not in Israeli controlled territory and has not given tours to foreign journalists to confirm its claims that Palestinian Islam Jihad, nor has Hamas allowed foreign observers to inspect the facilities to disprove the claim.
The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt. Rev. Guli Francis-Dehqani posted a statement on X noting: “Devastating to hear about yet another attack on the Al-Ahli Anglican hospital in Gaza. More lives lost in a tragedy that seems to see no end. I continue to stand in solidarity with all who suffer, calling for peace, justice and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”