At around 3 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2024, an Israeli drone allegedly bombed the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, North Gaza, killing at least two people, including a 16-year-old patient, and injuring as many as 12 others, among them members of the medical staff.

The incident was first reported by the Palestinian Press Agency (Safa News), which initially mentioned one fatality and “several” injuries after a drone struck the hospital’s entrance yard. Anadolu Agency, citing the hospital’s director, reported two deaths and two injuries. However, PNA-affiliated Wafa News stated that as many as 12 people were injured.

Airwars was able to identify the two reported deaths and three injured from testimonies online: Belal Abu al-Aish and his brother, 16-year-old Mahmoud Mohammed Abu al-Aish were both killed.

According to the X/Twitter account @Sa7atPl and the Palestinian Independent Doctors Association, Mahmoud Abu al-Aish, a wheelchair user, was on his way to the radiology department when the bombing occurred.

A video posted by Al Jazeera – Palestine on Facebook showed the immediate aftermath of the attack. The footage follows two men rushing toward the hospital entrance to assist the victims. Along the way, a man can be seen lying in the hallway, apparently taking cover. When the group reaches the entrance, the camera captures a seemingly unconscious individual on the ground. Next to him was the lifeless body of another person in a wheelchair. Although the video was edited to blur out the victims, blood is visible on the face and legs of Mahmoud Abu al-Aish. A group of people then carries the victim who was on the floor into the hospital, while another group can be seen checking whether Mahmoud Abu al-Aish is still alive.

Photos of the same scene were posted on Facebook by the Palestinian Independent Doctors Association, which reported medical staff and patients among the injured. Two men are seen holding a bloodied Mahmoud Abu al-Aish, hoping to find vital signs.

Users expressed indignation and sorrow on social media. “The child martyr,” wrote ‎Ilya Maha‎, “was sitting in his wheelchair in Kamal Adwan Hospital when the occupation forces targeted the hospital,” sharing a portrait of Mahmoud wearing a light blue shirt with golden print in front of a colourful brick wall.

User Firas Almasi lamented the attack and called for “all international institutions to take action and protect hospitals from this blatant aggression.”

Wesam Mohamed, a relative of the victims, mourned the deaths of Belal and Mahmoud Mohammed: “May God have mercy on them and grant them the highest paradise, and inspire their families with patience.” He also prayed for the recovery of his cousin Khaled Abu al-Aish, who was badly injured and in intensive care following the bombing, as well as his nephew Mohammed Saeed Abu al-Aish and cousin Mahmoud Rafeeq Abu al-Aish.

His words were accompanied by a photo of Belal Abu al-Aish, wearing glasses and a black and grey sweatshirt, smiling brightly. The post also included the previously described photo of Mahmoud Abu al-Aish but uncropped. In it, Mahmoud can be seen casually leaning over the brick wall.

Where sources identified the belligerent, all sources attributed the strikes to Israeli forces.