The Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last major health facility in northern Gaza, has been rendered inoperable following an Israeli military operation targeting Hamas militants near the site. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the development on Friday, expressing grave concerns about the deteriorating health infrastructure in Gaza.
Initial reports from the WHO indicate that critical hospital departments were severely damaged, with some reportedly burnt and destroyed during the raid. The Israeli military justified the operation, claiming the hospital had become a “key stronghold for terrorist organizations” and was being used as a hideout for operatives since broader operations in northern Gaza began in October.
Despite the Israeli military’s statement that civilians, patients, and medical staff were safely evacuated prior to the operation, the WHO reported that 60 health workers and 25 critically ill patients, including those on ventilators, remain inside the hospital. Patients in moderate to severe conditions were evacuated to the already destroyed and non-functional Indonesian Hospital, further exacerbating their vulnerability.
The health ministry in Gaza, led by Hamas, accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting the hospital, alleging that the military “set on fire all surgery departments” and displaced medical staff and patients. The ministry’s director, Hossam Abu Safiyeh, stated that around 350 people were in the hospital at the time of the attack, including 75 injured and sick patients and 180 medical staff. He also reported multiple injuries among the medical team.
Witnesses said hundreds of residents from the area were forced to seek refuge in nearby facilities, such as Al-Fakhura school and the Indonesian hospital in Jabalia. The World Health Organization described the conditions at Kamal Adwan Hospital as “appalling,” noting it had been operating at a minimal capacity due to ongoing hostilities and restrictions on humanitarian access.
The Israeli military has repeatedly accused Hamas of using hospitals as command and control centers during the conflict, allegations that Hamas has denied. Hamas called the military operation a “heinous crime” and urged the United Nations to investigate what it termed as “extermination and forced displacement” in northern Gaza.
The WHO reiterated its call for a ceasefire, condemning the systematic dismantling of Gaza’s health system as a “death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of care.” With increasing attacks on health facilities, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, leaving residents with dwindling access to critical medical services.
