Israeli Raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital Leaves Northern Gaza Without Major Health Facility

Dec 28, 2024, 04:30 PM

Israeli forces raided and set fire to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, forcibly removing staff and patients and leaving the facility out of service, according to health ministry officials and reports from various news outlets. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the hospital, which was one of the last major functioning health facilities in northern Gaza, is now empty, leaving 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk. The hospital's director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was detained after he reportedly stood unarmed facing Israeli tanks before his arrest. The Israeli military stated that they targeted a Hamas command center within the hospital and detained over 240 suspects, including 15 linked to the October 7 attacks. The health ministry in Gaza condemned the raid, stating that patients and injured civilians were forcibly evacuated to the Indonesian Hospital, which lacks essential supplies and had its infrastructure previously destroyed. The WHO expressed concern over the systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza, warning that it poses a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of care.