Israel Raids and Burns Gaza Hospital Amidst Ongoing Conflict
The Israeli military conducted a forced evacuation of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Friday, subsequently setting fire to certain parts of the building, according to medical staff. This hospital is one of the last three functional facilities in the area, where approximately 75,000 people still reside despite intense Israeli army bombardments. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that 350 people were inside the hospital, including 75 patients and 180 medical staff, with the surgery department among the areas affected by the fire.
The hospital staff had received an evacuation order from the Israeli army on Monday, instructing them to transfer patients to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which was opened in 2016 with funding from Indonesia. However, the Indonesian Hospital was also evacuated a few hours later. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Hussam Abu Safiya, told Reuters that evacuating the building under those conditions was virtually impossible, given the shortage of ambulances for transporting critical patients, such as those in comas and newborns in incubators.
In recent days, the Israeli army had bombed the vicinity of the hospital, with Safiya reporting approximately 50 fatalities, including five medical personnel, in a statement. An investigation is ongoing. Satellite images from the U.S.-based firm Planet Labs show smoke from buildings surrounding the hospital dating back to December 22.
The Israeli army later evacuated the hospital, claiming, as in the past, that the facility was being utilized by Hamas fighters, without providing further details. Eid Sabbah, the head of the nursing department at the hospital, told BBC News that the army gave staff 15 minutes to evacuate patients and personnel into the facility’s courtyard before entering and removing the remaining patients.
As the situation unfolds, it remains unclear where all the people have been relocated, as the Israeli army has not yet announced their destination. The fate of the patients who were essencial medical equipment, such as oxygen supply, remains uncertain.