Bishop of Norwich 'heartbroken' over blast at al-Ahli hospital in Gaza days after he visited

A senior Church of England bishop has described his heartbreak at the explosion at a Gazan hospital where he was working just a fortnight ago.

The blast at the al-Ahli hospital on Tuesday night is feared to have killed more than 400 people and left hundreds more injured, with Israel, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas all denying responsibility.

The Rt Rev Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, had recently returned from a trip to the hospital, a Christian-led facility offering emergency care to people of all faiths, where he was launching a fundraising drive for health services.

"When I saw the news, just this utter sense of shock that spread throughout me," the bishop told ITV News Anglia.

"A sense of disbelief. I have walked those corridors, I could recognise different buildings, you see the injuries of people, you hear people's screams and fears, and it is just horrific."

He said that “4,000 to 5,000 people” had sought sanctuary at the hospital in the last few days.

The bishop said the Anglican-run hospital had “always served the poorest of the poor” and was “politically neutral” as its funding comes from Anglican churches around the world.

Since the missile hit the hospital on Tuesday, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have accused Hamas of "hiding what really happened", claiming their intelligence spares them the blame.

Israel said the blast was caused by a misfired rocket by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but the proscribed terror group - as well as Palestinian and Hamas officials - have denied this, calling the Israeli military's accusations "baseless".

During the 10 days he spent in Gaza, the bishop said he saw staff overwhelmed and exhausted, while supplies were also dwindling.

"I cannot get my around what that is like when you have hardly any food, where there is hardly any medicine, no electricity, water being rationed," he said.

He described the situation as "deeply disturbing", adding that he had "a profound sense of both wanting to know if those I met there, how they are, while seeing so many people I didn't meet there injured.

"And some bit of me wanting to go and try and help, but I can't. It moved me deeply and I feel heartbroken."

He added that the home of the hospital’s medical director, Dr Maher Ayyad, had also been damaged by a recent missile.

The bishop said that he understood Dr Ayyad had “immediately returned to work and caring for patients”.

During his visit to Gaza, the bishop met the hospital’s director, Suhaila Tarazi – who he understands is safe.

The bishop described Ms Tarazi as “an amazing woman”, adding that she told him during their meeting that the mission of the hospital was “love”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury also said he was in “profound mourning” after the “atrocious” strike on the hospital, which he also had visited.

Justin Welby said it was “essential” to “exercise restraint in apportioning responsibility” before all the facts are clear.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, the archbishop said: “Today I join my Anglican brothers and sisters in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank in their profound mourning after the atrocious attack on al Ahli hospital yesterday, which follows so closely on from an attack on the same hospital on Friday evening.

“This is a hospital I have visited, and whose staff I have prayed with.”

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