The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has strongly condemned the destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, calling the act “sadistic” and part of an ongoing genocide campaign against the Palestinian people.

The hospital, located in central Gaza, was built by Türkiye and operated by local health authorities primarily as a cancer treatment center. It had long served as a vital lifeline for Palestinian patients amid a crumbling healthcare system further strained by months of conflict.

In a statement issued Friday, Hamas accused Israel of deliberately targeting the hospital in a broader campaign to dismantle Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. “This is a continuation of Israel’s genocidal war against our people,” the statement read. “The destruction of this hospital is a brutal and disgraceful act, one that violates all principles of humanity and international law.”

Hamas also held the United States partially responsible, alleging that Washington’s unwavering support and military aid have emboldened Israel to commit atrocities with impunity. “The U.S. has greenlit Israel’s actions and turned a blind eye to its war crimes,” the statement continued.

The group urged international legal institutions, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), to take swift legal action against Israel and its leaders, calling Israel a “rogue entity.”

The Israeli military confirmed on Friday that it had destroyed the hospital, claiming without evidence that Hamas had been using it for “terror infrastructure.” The claim has not been independently verified, and no proof has been presented.

Since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign on Gaza on October 7, 2023, nearly 50,000 Palestinians — the vast majority of them women and children — have been killed, with over 112,000 others wounded. International human rights groups and medical organizations have repeatedly accused Israel of deliberately targeting hospitals, ambulances, and medical workers, potentially violating the Geneva Conventions.

The attack on the Turkish-funded hospital comes just days after renewed airstrikes shattered a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that had held since January. More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and over 900 injured in Israeli attacks since Tuesday alone.

Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the ICJ and is also under investigation by the ICC, which issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital has sparked widespread outrage across the Muslim world and among human rights advocates, who see it as further evidence of Israel’s systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. (ILKHA)