WHO press releases or official announcements

Israeli Forces Detain Kamal Adwan Hospital Director Amid Raid, WHO Urges Immediate Release

Dec 30, 2024, 10:10 AM

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was detained by Israeli forces following a raid on the facility, which was the last major health facility in the region. The hospital has been rendered out of service after the operation. The Israeli military claimed that the hospital was being used as a Hamas command center and that Dr. Abu Safiya was suspected of being a Hamas operative. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the immediate release of Dr. Abu Safiya, whose whereabouts remain unknown. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the severe threat to Gaza's health system, noting that hospitals have become battlegrounds. During the raid, patients and medical staff were forcibly evacuated, with some critical patients transferred to the Indonesian Hospital, which is also out of service. WHO and its partners have been delivering essential medical and hygiene supplies, food, and water to the Indonesian Hospital and transferring 10 critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital. Four patients were detained during the transfer. The WHO has urged Israel to ensure the health care needs and rights of these patients are upheld. Additionally, Al-Ahli Hospital and Al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza City have also faced attacks and sustained damage.