Last hospital in northern Gaza closed due to Israeli attack, says Hamas
Last Updated on December 29, 2024 6:20 am
Israeli forces set fire to Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. The fate of many patients and health workers inside is still unknown. Kamal Adwan is the only hospital operating in northern Gaza.
On Friday, Israeli infantry entered the building and searched it. They arrested many people, including the director, Hussam Abu Safia. At one point, they set fire to the main building. Some managed to escape, but many are missing.
The Gaza Health Ministry said that several employees, including the director of the hospital, Hussam Abu Safia, were detained for questioning. They were taken to an interrogation center by Israeli forces. Israeli soldiers forcibly closed the hospital’s medical facilities. As a result, many patients are in a health crisis.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed this information. In a post on social media, the organization said, “The Israeli operation has stopped the operations of Kamal Adwan Hospital. Some important departments of the hospital have been severely burned.
Al Jazeera reported that the Israeli military attacked and set fire to the last operating hospital in northern Gaza. The hospital’s operating room and emergency department were destroyed. Approximately 350 people, including all patients and staff, were forced to evacuate the hospital. This has cut off all medical facilities at the main medical center in the northern Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera, citing a source at the hospital, said that at least five hospital staff members were burned to death when Israeli forces set fire to various parts of the hospital’s medical facilities.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday that it was conducting operations in and around the hospital in northern Gaza. The reason given was that Hamas was using the hospital as a strong base.
Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned and protested the operation at Kamal Adwan Hospital. The foreign ministries of both countries said that such an operation is a clear violation of international law.
Incidentally, the Israeli military had earlier announced that it had carried out a raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza. They claimed that the hospital was being used as a Hamas base. Denying this allegation, the Palestinian independence movement Hamas has described the burning of the hospital as a “clear war crime.”