An Israeli airstrike killed Dr. Marwan Al-Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, along with his wife, daughters, and son-in-law at their apartment in Gaza City, Palestinian officials and witnesses said Wednesday.
The bodies were found by a relative, Ahmed al-Sultan, who confirmed the family was killed in the overnight attack. Dr. Al-Sultan’s body was taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, where its director, Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, told AFP that Al-Sultan's face was barely recognizable.
The strike drew swift condemnation from the Gaza Health Ministry and Hamas, who accused Israel of deliberately targeting medical personnel in violation of international humanitarian law.
“We strongly condemn this heinous crime against our medical personnel and ask Allah to grant him and his family mercy after a long journey of service,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, claiming it had targeted "a key terrorist from the Hamas terrorist organization" in Gaza City, and said it was reviewing reports that civilians were harmed.
In a separate attack in Jabalia, four Palestinians were killed and several others injured after Israeli fighter jets hit a home in the northern Gaza neighborhood.
The deadly strike comes as Israel continues its relentless military campaign on the Gaza Strip, despite growing international pressure for a cease-fire. Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed over 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to face legal scrutiny. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, the International Court of Justice is reviewing a genocide case against Israel filed in connection with its ongoing war on the enclave.
