A hospital in northern Gaza has been left out of service after an Israeli raid severely damaged the building and emptied its wards of patients and doctors. The Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was already struggling due to airstrikes and fuel shortages, is now without medical supplies or staff.
The hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was arrested by Israeli forces on Friday, accused of being a Hamas terrorist operative. The UN has warned that the raid puts 75,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza at risk of losing their medical care.
Patients who were treated at Kamal Adwan Hospital have been transferred to other hospitals in southern Gaza, where they are also facing shortages of fuel and medical supplies. The Indonesian Hospital, which is itself out of function, has taken in some patients, while others remain without treatment.
The raid on the hospital comes as Israel launches a renewed crackdown on Hamas militants in northern Gaza. The Israeli military claims that Kamal Adwan Hospital was being used as a “Hamas terror stronghold”, but it did not provide evidence to support this claim.
Humanitarian aid is trickling into Gaza, but the delivery of assistance has been severely restricted. Since October 6, only 5,565 truckloads of aid have entered the enclave, according to UN data. In recent days, Israeli authorities have denied access for humanitarian workers and convoys more than 140 times.
As Gaza’s healthcare system crumbles, aid is struggling to reach those in need. The situation is made worse by a severe cold snap, which has claimed the life of a 20-day-old newborn and highlighted the dire conditions in Gaza’s hospitals.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/30/middleeast/last-hospital-north-gaza-israel-raid-intl/index.html