The last major functioning hospital in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan Hospital, was forcibly evacuated by the Israeli military on Friday after dozens of people were reportedly killed in Israeli strikes targeting the area. The hospital director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, said approximately 50 people had been killed, including five medical staff.
Medical staff, including 20 health workers and caregivers, have been detained by the IDF, while patients were moved to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which medics describe as non-functional due to a lack of power generators and water.
The Israeli military claimed that intelligence showed Hamas was using the hospital as a command centre for its military operations in Jabalia. The IDF said they had “facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients and medical personnel” before beginning the operation.
However, Gaza’s deputy minister of health, Dr Yousef Abu-Al Rish, alleged that some medical staff were exposed to psychological torture during questioning. The WHO stated that an urgent mission was being planned to move critically ill patients to southern Gaza for medical care due to the hospital’s damage and lack of facilities.
The Israeli military denied allegations of mistreating medical staff, but admitted that they had targeted a building opposite the hospital, leading to the death of a paediatrician and a lab technician. The hospital has been under a tightening Israeli blockade since October, with aid agencies reporting deliberate delays and systematic obstructions by the Israeli military in delivering supplies to the area.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx26v70n5z4o