The “Ar-Rantisi“ children's hospital, the ophthalmology clinic and the emergency medical center, located in Gaza City in the Palestinian enclave of the same name, were out of order as a result of Israeli shelling. The Gaza Health Ministry announced this on its Telegram channel.
The ministry emphasized that “Ar-Rantisi“ and the ophthalmology clinic provide medical services unavailable in other facilities in the enclave.
On September 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the start of an intensive Israeli offensive in Gaza City. The stated goal of the operation was to defeat the Palestinian Hamas movement. The following day, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that on the evening of September 16, the upper floors of the “Ar-Rantisi“ building were attacked by the Israeli army three times, within minutes of each other. It was noted that this hospital treated children with cancer, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases and digestive disorders, including congenital ones.
On August 18, the Qatari television channel Al Jazeerareportedthat most hospitals in the Gaza Strip had been damaged and closed due to the fighting: out of approximately 40, only 15 remained operational, many of them only partially.