The Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike on the European Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, killing 28 people, reports “Politico“, reports News.bg.
The incident occurred amid ongoing ceasefire talks in Doha, brokered by the United States. US President Donald Trump, who is on a tour of the Middle East, is pushing for an agreement between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages.
A day earlier, Hamas released an American hostage after direct negotiations with the US, excluding Israel from the process. Trump described the gesture as a "good faith step" towards a resolution to the conflict.
Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, met with families of Israeli hostages on Tuesday and criticized Israel for prolonging the hostilities, but expressed hope that the upcoming talks in Doha would make progress. The Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in Qatar on Wednesday. It is not clear whether Trump will participate directly in the meetings.
The Israeli army confirmed the strike on the hospital, saying that a Hamas command center was located under the building. According to Israeli media, the target was Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in October 2024. Mohammed Sinwar has taken over the leadership of Hamas and, according to CNN, his agreement is key to a possible ceasefire. His name, however, is not among the dead listed by local authorities.
The attack killed 28 people and injured dozens, including a freelance journalist working for the BBC. In a separate airstrike on the "Nasser" hospital in Gaza, Palestinian journalist Hassan Aslih was killed. Israeli authorities accused him of collaborating with Hamas.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 138 journalists, most of them Palestinians, have been killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023. Israel continues to restrict access to foreign media in Gaza.
The European Hospital, funded by the European Union, is one of the few functioning health facilities in Gaza after more than 18 months of Israeli bombing. The strike against it sparked sharp reactions from local and international humanitarian organizations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a meeting with wounded army reservists that the country could agree to a short-term ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, but stressed that the war would continue until Hamas was finally defeated.