Three years have passed since the Baptist National Hospital massacre in Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians who fled to the Baptist National Hospital in Gaza to escape bombardment fell victim to what ended the night of October 17, 2023, when a massive explosion erupted in the hospital courtyard.

Gaza's Health Ministry announced that the explosion claimed the lives of approximately 500 people, including women and children, while the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 342 people were injured, including 28 in critical condition. The United Nations described what occurred at the hospital as among the bloodiest incidents in the first days of the war.

The Baptist National Hospital, which was founded in 1882 and later became known as the Arab National Hospital, was receiving large numbers of displaced persons fleeing bombardment across the strip on the day of the explosion. Anadolu Agency points out that the hospital's administration had received threats and evacuation calls before the explosion occurred, which reveals the scale of danger that health facilities in Gaza had begun to face.

Baptist missions managed the hospital between 1954 and 1982, before its administration was transferred to the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem.