Al-Ahli Arab Hospital facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al-Ahli Arab Hospital |
|
|---|---|
| Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestine |
| Coordinates | 31°30′18″N 34°27′41″E / 31.5049°N 34.4615°E |
| Organisation | |
| Funding | Non-profit hospital |
| Hospital type | General |
| Services | |
| Beds | 80 |
The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is a hospital located in Gaza City, Palestine. It is often called the Baptist Hospital for short. This hospital is in the Zeitoun neighborhood in the southern part of Gaza City. The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem manages it.
The hospital first opened in 1882. This makes it one of the oldest hospitals in Gaza City. It is also the only Christian hospital in the Gaza Strip.
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Hospital History and Purpose
The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital has been helping people since 1882. It started as a medical mission by the Anglican Church. This was after the Anglo-Egyptian War.
In 1954, a group called the Southern Baptist Convention bought the hospital. They changed its name to the Gaza Baptist Hospital. Later, in the early 1980s, it was given back to the Anglican Church. The Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem then took over its management. They renamed it the Ahli Arab Hospital.
This hospital is very important for the Gaza Strip. It is the only Christian hospital there. It is also Gaza's only hospital that specializes in cancer treatment. The hospital usually performs about 300 surgeries each month. It also handles 600 X-ray and imaging visits. Around 3,000 patients visit its outpatient clinics monthly. Charities from around the world, like Embrace the Middle East, help support the hospital.
Hospital Operations: 1948 to 1987
After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society ran the hospital. This group left in 1982. Then, several international groups stepped in to help. These included Church World Service and DanChurchAid.
During this time, Al-Ahli Hospital had a special department for kidney and bladder problems. In 1985, it added dental and eye care departments. It also had a large unit for treating burns. By 1987, money was found from a German charity. This money helped build a new hospital building. There were also plans to rent out some hospital land. This would create a shopping center to help fund the hospital. The hospital had a total of five dunams of land. They planned to use two dunams for commercial development. A part of the money earned would go towards building a new multi-story hospital.
Hospital Operations: 1987 to 2005
The First Intifada began in 1987. This changed how the hospital worked every day. In its first year, the hospital had to manage many more injured people. In 1996, Israel closed Gaza's borders. This stopped goods and aid from coming in. The hospital's yearly report said this also stopped medicine from arriving. During the Second Intifada, Al-Ahli was a main hospital for treating injured people.
Hospital Operations: 2023 to 2025
Damage to the Cancer Diagnostic Centre
On October 14, 2023, the hospital's Cancer Diagnostic Treatment Centre was damaged. This happened around 7:30 p.m. Four hospital staff members were injured. Two of the upper floors were badly damaged. The departments for mammography and ultrasound were most affected.
October 17 Explosion
On October 17, 2023, an explosion happened in the parking lot of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. This happened during the Israel–Hamas war. Many Palestinians who were staying there for safety were killed or hurt.
The number of people who died is not clear. The Gaza Health Ministry said 471 people were killed and 342 were hurt. The church group that runs the hospital said about 200 people died. US intelligence agencies thought the number was between 100 and 300.
The reason for the explosion is also debated. Israel, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada said their information showed it was caused by a rocket from inside Gaza. They believe the rocket was fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group, but it failed. Hamas and PIJ said an Israeli airstrike caused the explosion.
Many independent studies of videos, pictures, and eyewitness accounts suggest that a rocket fired from Gaza that went off course was the most likely cause. Groups like the Associated Press, CNN, The Economist, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal have looked into this. Human Rights Watch also said an Israeli airstrike was "highly unlikely." However, Forensic Architecture later said in February 2024 that what happened is still "inconclusive."Hospital Status in 2024
By February 2024, Al-Ahli Hospital was working at 30 percent of its normal ability. It was powered completely by solar energy. In March 2024, the World Health Organization visited Al-Ahli. They brought supplies for injuries and fuel. In July 2024, the hospital was closed and people had to leave. The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke out against this closure. He said it put sick and injured people in more danger.
Hospital Status in 2025
On April 13, 2025, a part of the hospital was damaged. This affected its emergency department. Patients had been moved out before this happened. No one was reported injured during the event itself. However, the evacuation caused difficulties for patients needing urgent care.
See also
- List of hospitals in the State of Palestine
- Attacks on health facilities during the Gaza war
- Timeline of the Gaza Strip healthcare collapse
