Israeli soldiers once again attacked the Anglican-run Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza June 5, this time killing five people and injuring 30 more according to a release from the diocese of Jerusalem. Among the dead are three journalists and a father who was taking his son to the hospital’s surgical unit to treat pre-existing injuries, the release said. Four staff at the hospital were among the 30 wounded, it said. Another journalist injured in the attack is reported to have died since the diocese’s statement was released.
The diocese called the attack an “unprovoked assault against civilians,” adding, “The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms, calling upon the Israeli Army to respect the internationally protected sanctity of Ahli Hospital and all other hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip.” It called world leaders to enforce combatants’ responsibility to uphold the Fourth Geneva Convention which provides special protections for hospitals, medical personnel, journalists and civilians.
It urged Christians “and others of goodwill” worldwide to pray and work to bring the war to a speedy end so the release of captives, better treatment of the wounded, rebuilding and aid to the deprived people of Gaza can commence. “Only in this way, we believe, can the healing begin, and the pathway towards a just and lasting peace open for all those living in our beloved Holy Land,” the diocese said.
On June 6, Archbishop Anne Germond, acting primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, shared with the Anglican Journal a statement of her own, endorsing the diocese of Jerusalem’s stance and joining its call for adherence to the Geneva Convention’s protections for hospitals, journalists and civilians. She also added a call on the Canadian government to follow through on the strong action Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in a May 19 joint statement with the leaders of France and the United Kingdom. That statement said the three countries would not hesitate to take further action including increased sanctions on Israel if it did not cease its renewed offensive and stop restricting humanitarian aid. “However,” wrote Germond, “We see little or no evidence that such action has been taken. The moment is now. Canada must act for a just peace before it is too late.“
A Facebook post from the International Federation of Journalists identified the three journalists as Suleiman Hajjaj, Ismail Badah and Samir Al-Rifai and added on June 6 that a fourth, cameraman Ahmed Qaljah, had died of injuries sustained during the attack. “Israel must be held accountable for its systematic targeting of journalists in Palestine,” the post said.
Ahli Hospital, operated and funded by the diocese of Jerusalem, has at times been the only functioning hospital in Gaza during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. It has been attacked several times already, most recently in April, when an Israeli air strike destroyed a genetic laboratory and damaged the pharmacy and emergency department as well as nearby buildings. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed it bombed the hospital because it was being used as a base for Hamas, which the hospital’s director, Suhaila Tarazi, now operating from the United States, firmly denied in an interview with the Anglican Journal.
The hospital has been attacked several times since the war began. In December 2023, tanks rolled through the outer wall and IDF soldiers detained almost all of the hospital’s staff on suspicion of being connected to Hamas; in October 2023, a rocket struck the hospital’s courtyard, killing about 500 people sheltering there. Israel at the time that the rocket had been a misfire by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
This article has been corrected to reflect that Archbishop Anne Germond shared her statement directly with the Anglican Journal.
