Israel just bombed a children’s hospital in Gaza three times in one night

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported last night, 16 September 2025, Israel bombed the upper floors of Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City three times, each strike occurring within a few minutes of each other.

Israel bombs Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital three times in one night

80 patients, across different departments, were receiving treatment at the time, including four in the pediatric intensive care unit and eight in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The bombing forced 40 children and their families to flee the building under fire, but 40 patients, including the 12 intensive care patients, along with 30 doctors, nurses and medical staff remained in the hospital.

Al-Rantisi specializes in the treatment of children, including babies, with cancer, kidney diseases, as well as disorders impacting the respiratory and digestive organs. It is Gaza’s only specialized children’s hospital.

The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), which claims it was the Pediatric Cancer Department which was attacked last night, wrote on social media:

As we write (17 Sep, 1:00 am Gaza time), we continue to hear terrifying reports that the Israeli military is launching continued strikes and targeted drone attacks on the hospital’s infrastructure and its patients.

The Oncology department was initially established by PCRF in 2019, to provide local life-saving treatment for children with cancer who couldn’t access care elsewhere.

Not the first time Israel has targeted it

Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital was also targeted by the Israeli occupation in November 2023, but PCRF managed to repair the building. Now they must rebuild again.

The Ministry of Health said:

We call on the world and the United Nations to take immediate action to provide protection for medical staff and patients inside hospitals, and to stop the repeated attacks on health facilities.

It is the collective responsibility of states and global actors to protect health facilities, patients and medical personnel from such attacks, and to hold the occupation to account. Medical personnel and hospitals are specifically protected under international humanitarian law but, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, between 7 October 2023 and 6 September 2025, Israel has:

• Bombed, destroyed, or put out of service 38 hospitals.
• Bombed, destroyed, or put out of service 96 healthcare centers.
• Made 788 attacks on healthcare services, facilities, vehicles, personnel, and supply chains.
•  Martyred 1670 medical personnel.
• Targeted 197 ambulances, and 61 Civil Defense vehicles.

Featured image via the Canary