Dr Mohammed Salha, a health official at Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, has confirmed that the hospital buildings and yard were subjected to Israeli shelling at dawn, Al Jazeera reports.

It was the fourth targeting of this medical facility since the beginning of the onslaught and the second within 48 hours.

“We are a non-governmental hospital that has been working to provide services to citizens, especially at the level of obstetrics and gynaecology. We are the only hospital that provides these services in the northern Gaza Strip at the present time,” Dr Salha said.

Abdul Rahman Abu Sitta, one of the patients inside the hospital, said that the Israeli army continued to target Al-Awda Hospital to take it out of service.

“Last night and yesterday, the hospital building was hit by 4 Israeli shells and caused patients to panic,” he said.