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The director of Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital was killed in an Israeli air strike on his home in Gaza City, along with several family members, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The ministry stated that Dr. Marwan Sultan had a distinguished career in medicine, condemning the act as a “heinous crime against our medical cadres.”
The Israeli military reported that it had struck a “key terrorist” from Hamas in the Gaza City area, adding that claims of harm to “uninvolved civilians” as a result of the strike are under review.
Concurrently, at least five individuals were killed, and others, including children, were injured in a strike on the al-Mawasi “safe zone,” one of several attacks reported by news agencies.
The health ministry emphasized Dr. Sultan’s compassionate career, “during which he was a symbol of dedication, steadfastness, and sincerity, during the most difficult circumstances and most trying moments experienced by our people under continuous aggression.”
Dr. Sultan served as the director of the Indonesian Hospital, which the health ministry declared out of service following what the UN later described as “repeated Israeli attacks and sustained structural damage.” The Israeli military had stated it was targeting “terrorist infrastructure sites” in the area.
According to the UN, there are currently no functioning hospitals in the north Gaza governorate.
The health ministry has accused the Israeli military of targeting medical and humanitarian teams.
In its statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals” and “operates to mitigate harm to them as much as possible.”
The IDF asserted that Hamas “systematically violates international law while using civilian infrastructure for terrorist activity and the civilian population as human shields.”
However, Dr. Sultan’s daughter, Lubna al-Sultan, stated that “an F-16 missile targeted his room exactly, right where he was, directly on him.”
“All the rooms in the house were intact except for his room, which was hit by the missile. My father was martyred in it,” she told the Associated Press.
She affirmed that he was “not affiliated with a movement or anything, he just fears for the patients [he] treats, throughout the war.”
The health ministry reported that at least 139 people were killed across Gaza by Israeli military operations in the 24 hours leading up to midday on Wednesday.
News agencies reported that in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, at least five people were killed and others, including children, were wounded in an Israeli strike that impacted a tent housing displaced individuals.
Family members of those killed indicated the strike occurred at 00:40 local time (22:40 BST) while they were asleep.
Tamam Abu Rizq told AFP that the strike “shook the place like an earthquake,” and she “went outside and found the tent on fire.”
The al-Mawasi area was designated a “safe zone” by the Israeli military, while the UN reports that 80% of Gaza is either an Israeli military zone or under an evacuation order.
“They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed… What did they do?” Maha Abu Rizq questioned.
At the scene, amid the destruction and scattered personal belongings, one man held up a pack of nappies and asked: “Is this a weapon?”
Footage recorded by AFP depicts men exiting a car in front of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and rushing inside, carrying blood-covered children. Within the hospital, young children are seen crying as doctors tend to their injuries.
In other AFP footage, women are shown weeping over the bodies of their relatives during funerals at the hospital.
“Anyone of any religion must take action and say: Enough! Stop this war!” exclaimed Ekram al-Akhras, who lost several cousins in one of the strikes.
News agencies reported that in Gaza City, another four members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house.
According to Palestinian news outlet WAFA, the four individuals killed were Ahmed Ayyad Zeno, his wife Ayat Zeno, and their daughters, Zahra Zeno and Obaida Zeno.
The BBC has reached out to the IDF for comment regarding the two incidents.
Rachel Cummings, who is working in Gaza with Save the Children, told reporters that during “wishing circles” at the charity’s child-friendly spaces, children have recently been “wishing to die” in order to be with their mother or father who has been killed, or to have food and water.
As a heatwave spread across the UK and Europe this week, temperatures also exceeded 30C in Gaza.
Displaced individuals residing in tents reported struggling to stay cool without electricity, fans, and with limited access to water.
Reda Abu Hadayed told the Associated Press that the heat is “indescribable” and her children are unable to sleep.
“They cry all day until sunset, when the temperature drops a little, then they go to sleep,” she said. “When morning comes, they start crying again due to the heat.”
Israel has continued to bomb Gaza and control the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid as mediators convene to negotiate a potential ceasefire proposal.
Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 individuals to Gaza as hostages.
Since then, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 57,000 people, including over 15,000 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
The outdoor cafe was frequently used by journalists, activists and local residents.
The court has rejected a challenge brought by human rights groups.
The IDF said instructions had been issued to forces after “lessons learned”.
At least 86 people were killed as the result of Israeli attacks in the 24 hours before midday Sunday, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
Hospital staff and witnesses said at least 11 people were killed after a strike near tents housing displaced people on Friday.
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