Last Major Hospital in Northern Gaza Ceases Operations Amid Israeli Military Action

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the Kamal Adwan hospital, the last major health facility in northern Gaza, has been rendered inoperative following intensified Israeli military operations in the area. Key hospital departments were severely damaged or destroyed during the attacks, and healthcare staff have been killed, injured, or arrested.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the WHO expressed deep concern over the hospital’s closure and the fate of those still inside. “Sixty health workers and 25 critically ill patients, including those on ventilators, remain in the hospital,” the agency stated. Patients in moderate to severe condition have been forced to evacuate to the already destroyed Indonesian hospital.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, described harrowing conditions as the hospital faced sustained attacks. He reported that five medical staff members were killed in strikes on Thursday and that much of the hospital’s infrastructure and equipment were severely damaged. “The occupation army is burning all the operating departments in the hospital while we are still there,” he posted on Instagram, recounting threats of arrest and the evacuation of medical staff and displaced individuals.

Eid Sabbah, head of the nursing department, said Israeli forces raided the hospital with tanks and bulldozers, providing only 15 minutes for evacuation. He stated that many staff, patients, and their companions remain unaccounted for. Reports suggest some evacuees were taken to nearby facilities, including a wedding hall and a school.

In an audio message shared by Abu Safiya, a staff member expressed fears for critically ill patients being relocated without adequate oxygen supplies, warning that deaths were imminent.

The Israeli military claims the hospital was being used by Hamas as a stronghold, justifying the operation as part of broader efforts to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. They assert steps were taken to evacuate civilians and mitigate harm, though local health officials dispute these claims.

Elsewhere in Gaza, airstrikes reportedly killed at least 25 people, including 15 in a single residence in Gaza City. Northern Gaza towns such as Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun have been largely evacuated and systematically demolished, fueling speculation about Israel’s plans to establish a permanent buffer zone in the area.

The ongoing war, which began after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has left over 45,300 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health officials. Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with much of the territory now in ruins. Israel maintains that its military campaign aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping while asserting its intention to retain full security control over Gaza after the conflict ends.

The international community continues to voice alarm over the mounting humanitarian crisis, urging immediate measures to protect civilians and ensure the safety of medical personnel in the conflict zone.