The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on March 21, 2025, that they had struck ‘terrorists of Hamas’ inside an abandoned hospital in the Gaza Strip. This followed accusations from Ankara that Israel destroyed a Turkish-built hospital in central Gaza. Earlier that day, IDF forces targeted a Hamas infrastructure previously used as a hospital in central Gaza, according to an IDF spokesperson responding to Turkish allegations. The spokesperson emphasized that the structure hadn’t been primarily used as a hospital for over a year. Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned Israel’s destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting the building. The Health Ministry of the Gaza-based Hamas government denounced the bombing as a ‘heinous crime,’ claiming it was the only hospital treating cancer patients in central Gaza. Despite this, the IDF stated the hospital served as a command center during their occupation of the so-called Nezarim corridor. Videos circulating online show the moment Israeli forces demolished the hospital and an adjacent medical school, sparking international outcry but limited Western media coverage. According to the Palestinian ministry, Israel’s actions represent systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, continuing what they describe as genocide against Palestinians. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas on March 18, resuming airstrikes in central Gaza before deploying troops back into areas vacated during the truce, particularly in the Nezarim corridor.