Bodies of Palestinians killed by an explosion near the Ahli Arab hospital are gathered in the front yard of the al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. (AP)

The massacre of the Baptist Hospital, also known as the Al-Ahli National Hospital, has left more than 500 martyrs, with most of the victims being women and children.

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, many of the victims were found with no head, torn-off limbs, or disemboweled. The continuous increase in victims has surpassed the capabilities of medical crews and ambulances.

He added that doctors are performing surgeries in the hospital's corridors, without using anesthetics.

As a result of over-capacity and lack of medical supplies, hundreds of victims are expected to die within hours.

Doctors in Gaza are struggling to manage the thousands of patients injured by the brutal Israeli airstrikes
This was a doctor’s agonizing reaction to the desperation inside a Gaza hospital pic.twitter.com/ATOFSiJfit
— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) October 18, 2023

The Israeli aggression led to the death of 44 medical personnel and the injury of 70 others and put four hospitals and 14 primary care centers out of service, the spokesperson revealed.

Act 'now and not tomorrow'

In a press statement, the Hamas media office declared the massacre a crime of genocide.

"The horrific massacre carried out by the Zionist occupation in the Gaza City’s Al-Ahly Hospital which left hundreds of casualties, most of them displaced families, patients, children, and women, is a crime of genocide that once again reveals the ugly face of this criminal enemy and its fascist and terrorist government," the statement said.

It added that the massacre "exposes the American and Western support for this criminal occupation."

Hamas continued to call on the global community alongside the Arab and Islamic countries to take up "their responsibilities and intervene immediately, now and not tomorrow... to stop the arrogance of the occupation and its fascist army, and hold it accountable for the genocide it has been committing for the eleventh day in a row in the already blockaded area."

Residential homes are being ruthlessly bombarded without warning. Simultaneously, a suffocating blockade continues to strangle the region, depriving its inhabitants of even the most necessities – water, electricity, and life-saving medications.

Another day, another massacre

Just yesterday, the Ministry of Interior in Gaza announced that the Israeli occupation committed a new massacre, killing and wounding hundreds of displaced people inside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City.

According to the Ministry, the occupation made a direct target at the ancient church building on Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in the Gaza Strip.

The Ministry pointed out that the church contained dozens of displaced people who were taking shelter inside the church, most of whom were women and children.

The Ministry stated that severe material damage was caused to parts of the church building and that a building adjacent to the church was destroyed. It is worth noting that the Church of St. Porphyrius is considered the third oldest church in the world. The original building dates back to 425 AD, and it was renovated in 1856.