Gaza City, October 14 (RHC)-- Israeli warplanes bombed a tent encampment on the grounds of Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Deir al-Balah early this morning.  

At least four Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured as the bombing set off a massive fire in an area packed with tents housing displaced people who had sought safety at the hospital.  Survivors said they lost everything in the fire.

One survivor, Umm Mahmoud Wadi, told reporters: “At 1:10 a.m., we woke up in shock to find a fire rising here.  What can I say?  I quickly ran with my daughters.  I woke them up and quickly rushed to Al-Aqsa Hospital.  What can I say?  Everything has burned. Everything.  As you see, I’m a mother of seven daughters.  Where shall I go?  My tent has collapsed, destroyed.  All our clothes and belongings are gone.  Who should we speak to?  Where is the safety?  We are calling on all countries, the whole world, to stand by our side and stop the war on us.  We are exhausted.  We’ve had enough.”

The attack came hours after Israel bombed a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Nuseirat refugee camp.  At least 22 people were killed in the attack.  The United Nations reports it had planned to use the site, the Mufti School, to give out polio vaccinations today.

On Saturday, another Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed a family of eight — a mother, father and their six children, with the youngest being just 8 years old.