Israel destroys evacuated health center in Gaza City, medics say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Palestinian medical charity said Tuesday that Israel destroyed its main center in Gaza City after ordering its evacuation.

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society said an Israeli strike reduced its six-story building in the central Samer area to rubble. It said the center was one of the main facilities in the city providing blood donation and testing services, trauma care, cancer medicine and chronic disease treatment.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has repeatedly bombed and raided hospitals in Gaza throughout the war.

In a separate development, Israel announced Tuesday complete closure of the border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan until further notice after an attack last week that killed two Israelis.

The Allenby Bridge Crossing over the Jordan River, also known as King Hussein Bridge, is the only cargo and passenger crossing available to Palestinians in the West Bank that does not lead to Israel. It is also on a key route for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Multiple hospitals in famine-stricken Gaza City have been forced to shut down as Israel forces advance. Israel accuses Hamas of using medical facilities for military purposes — which could cause them to lose their protection under international law — but the military has often provided little or no evidence of a significant militant presence.

The head of the World Health Organization, which has partnered with the charity, condemned the strike. “Attacks on health facilities must end. The senseless violence must stop. Ceasefire!” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

The medical charity said another of its centers was damaged and surrounded by Israeli troops, and that a third center was destroyed in a separate strike. Gaza's Health Ministry said Monday that the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and the Specialized Eye Hospital had been forced to shut down because of nearby Israeli military operations.

Several Western countries on Monday called on Israel to restore a medical corridor for Palestinians in Gaza to be treated in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, and for Israel to lift restrictions on medical supplies entering Gaza.

The statement was cosigned by 24 nations, including Canada, France and Germany, and comes as Israel has faced mounting criticism over the war in Gaza from even some of its closest allies.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state.

Israel launched a major offensive earlier this month aimed at occupying Gaza City, the territory’s largest, which has already suffered heavy damage from previous raids and bombardment. Israel says the operation is aimed at pressuring Hamas to surrender and return the remaining 48 hostages taken during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Israel believes around 20 of the captives are alive.

The world’s leading authority on hunger crises said last month that Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive had already pushed Gaza City into famine. More than 300,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks as Israel has ordered the population to move south, but an estimated 700,000 remain, according to U.N. agencies and aid groups.

Meanwhile a Palestinian man died from his injuries after being shot by Israeli settlers in the village of al-Mughayyir, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said Tuesday.

Palestinian residents of al-Mughayyir said Saeed Murad Naasan, 20, was shot after confronting settlers who were grazing their livestock on the outskirts of the village which is situated east of Ramallah.

The Israeli military said troops fired live rounds to disperse Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli civilians during a “violent confrontation” that wounded one person. It said the incident is under review.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 in the Oct. 7 attack. Most of the captives have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 65,382 Palestinians have been killed in the war, without saying how many were civilians or combatants. It is part of the Hamas-run government. Its figures are seen by the U.N. and many independent experts as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

This story has been corrected to show that the health facility was in the central Samer area of Gaza City, not the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood.

Magdy reported from Cairo.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip, by foot and in vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A displaced Palestinian flees northern Gaza Strip, carrying his belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip, carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip as they walk carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza Strip, by foot and in vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road, near Wadi Gaza, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Jake Weatherald posted his maiden test half-century and Marnus Labuschagne completed back-to-back 50s to help Australia reach 228-3 at the end of the middle session on Day 2 in reply to England’s 334 in the second Ashes test.

The 31-year-old Weatherald, who was out for a duck in his test debut last month, scored 72 from and shared partnerships of 77 with Travis Head (33) and 69 with Labuschagne to get Australia's chase away to a flier.

Steve Smith was 24 and Cameron Green was on 22 at the short interval before the night session. The Gabba pitch was already starting to produce some uneven bounce, likely making it tricky for the batters facing the pink ball under lights.

Smith has already had treatment after being hit on the elbow by a delivery from Brydon Carse that rose sharply and beat the edge of the bat.

England resumed Day 2 at 325-9 and added nine runs in 14 balls before No. 11 Jofra Archer was dismissed, leaving Joe Root unbeaten on 138.

The No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket posted his maiden hundred in an Ashes match Down Under late on Day 1 and shared a 70-run last-wicket stand with Archer that took England's innings into a second day.

Only two wickets fell in the first session — Archer for England and Head for Australia — in warm, bright afternoon conditions in the day-night match.

There were two more wickets the middle session as the sun set in Brisbane, but runs continued to flow at a rate of more than 5 per over as Australia cut the first-innings deficit to 106.

Head, who was the star of Australia’s series-opening eight-wicket win in Perth, added 30 runs after a getting a reprieve when he was dropped on three by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith in the ninth over off Archer’s bowling.

He ran out of luck when he rushed through his shot to a ball from Carse which caught him by surprise and skied a catch to Gus Atkinson.

Weatherald made the scoring look easy as he raced to 50 from 45 balls, stroking nine boundaries and a six with a series of cut shots and uppercuts. He moved to 72 off 78 balls before he was hit on the foot by a full delivery from Archer that trapped him front.

Weatherald walked back toward the pavilion without having a second look at the umpire, and Australia was 146-2.

Smith's arrival at the crease was greeted with boos and jeers by the Barmy Army and the stand-in Australia captain had to duck under a 147 kph (91 mph) bouncer from Archer, the fastest delivery of the match.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 and seemed unperturbed until Ben Stokes struck to slow the momentum.

Labuschagne, who top edged an attempted pull off Carse to bring up his 50, was in good touch on 65 until he attempted a pull shot against a stock Stokes delivery and edged behind.

Brendan Doggett picked up the last of the England wickets on the 14th ball of the day for Australia when Archer hooked and Labuschagne took a diving, one-handed catch at backward square. England’s innings lasted 76.2 overs.

Archer's 38 came off 36 balls, his career-highest test score containing two sixes and two boundaries including a classic square drive in Mitchell Starc's first over of the day.

Starc returned 6-75 from 20 overs to increase his series haul to 16 wickets.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne celebrates his fifty runs during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Travis Head, left, talks to Australia's Jake Weatherald during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Travis Head plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Joe Root plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Jake Weatherald plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Jofra Archer plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Joe Root runs between the wickets as Australia's Mitchell Starc fields on the ground during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

England's Joe Root, centre, with team mates warms up before start the second day of the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)