Israeli strikes kill two in Gaza, destroy medicine storage warehouses
By Mahmoud Issa and Alexander Cornwell
Israeli Airstrikes and Their Impact in Gaza
Details of the Strikes
Deir al-Balah, GAZA/TEL AVIV, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Israel's military on Saturday killed two Palestinians in Gaza and destroyed two warehouses near a hospital that were said to be storing medicine in separate strikes, amid uncertainty over whether Israel has accepted a deal reached with Hamas over the group's disarmament.
Casualties and Targets
Palestinian health officials said two Palestinians were killed in the Sheikh Radwan area of Gaza City in central Gaza in an Israeli air strike. A military spokesperson said those targeted were Hamas militants but declined to provide further details.
Destruction of Medical Warehouses
In an earlier incident, an Israeli air strike destroyed two warehouses that were used to store medicine by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said in a statement.
Military Statements and Claims
Several hours after the strike, the Israeli military said it had struck a Hamas hideout near the hospital which the group used to store weapons. Other sites in Gaza that it said were used by Hamas to store arms were also struck, a military statement said.
The military said the strikes were directed by the Shin Bet intelligence agency. It did not disclose any evidence to support the claim that Hamas was storing weapons at any of the sites.
Aftermath and Humanitarian Concerns
Impact on Medical Facilities and Civilians
Reuters footage of the Deir al-Balah strike showed a crater several metres wide marking the site of the explosion, with debris strewn across the area, including what appeared to be medical supplies, close to a densely packed tent encampment.
Two other warehouses storing medicine and the hospital's outpatient clinic were damaged in the strike, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
The hospital said the warehouses had stored essential medical supplies used to treat kidney failure patients undergoing dialysis, along with other materials like gauze used in wound care and routine treatment.
Eyewitness Accounts
"The Israeli occupation has committed a heinous crime," Khalil al-Daqran, a doctor at the hospital, said of the strike.
"In the middle of the night, (the military) targeted a warehouse containing medical supplies for the hospital, and the occupation completely destroyed it," he told Reuters.
Witnesses said the military had issued an evacuation warning for the area before carrying out the Deir al-Balah strike.
International Law and Civilian Protection
Hospitals and other civilian sites are protected under international humanitarian law, although that protection can be lost if they are used for military purposes. Israel's military says Hamas and other armed groups operate from within civilian areas and facilities, including hospitals.
Displacement and Ongoing Conflict
Displacement of Civilians
Fatima Sharab, 34, a displaced Palestinian mother of two living in a tent near the warehouses, said the strike destroyed tents housing 60 to 70 people who had been sheltering there.
Many people in need of medical care had been sheltering in the tents in order to be close to the hospital, Sharab said.
Continued Strikes and Ceasefire Developments
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Gaza since agreeing last October to a U.S.-mediated ceasefire, killing 1,222 Palestinians in the past nine months. Palestinian health officials say many of those killed were women and children. Hamas rarely announces its casualties.
Political Reactions and Peace Initiatives
U.S. Involvement and Peace Plans
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said there had been a breakthrough in his plan to end the war, which both Israel and Hamas agreed to last year and which started with the ceasefire.
Trump said that Hamas, which ruled Gaza for nearly two decades before carrying out the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, had agreed to lay down its weapons.
Israeli Government Response
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to comment publicly, while his National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called the agreement unacceptable and said that Israel must continue to carry out its policy of assassinating Hamas leaders.
Roadmap for Peace
Trump's Board of Peace, established to implement his plan for ending the Gaza war, released a roadmap on Thursday outlining the final steps for carrying out the initiative. The document states that Israel will cease military operations as part of its commitment to Trump's 20-point plan, which it signed last year.
(Writing by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
