The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Monday that the healthcare system in northern Gaza has been “obliterated” due to the ongoing fighting in the region, rendering hospitals “completely inoperable”.
“The repeated hostilities in and around hospitals have devastated the healthcare system in northern Gaza, leaving civilians at an unacceptably severe risk of lacking lifesaving care,” the ICRC mentioned in a statement.
It urged for the respect and protection of medical facilities in accordance with international humanitarian law.
“Such protection is not only a legal obligation but also a moral imperative to safeguard human life,” the ICRC emphasized, noting that hospitals are essential lifelines for those who are sick or injured in conflicts.
“The Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals are now completely inoperable.”
“For months, these medical facilities have struggled to cater to patients as ongoing hostilities have caused damage to hospitals and endangered or harmed staff, patients, and civilians.”
Israel’s military reported yesterday that its forces had eliminated around 20 Palestinian militants and arrested “240 terrorists” during a raid on Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia, describing it as one of their “largest operations” conducted in the territory.
The hospital was the last significant healthcare facility in North Gaza.
“No patient can expect to have their medical needs fully addressed today,” the ICRC noted regarding the current situation.
“The surge of patients, caregivers, and displaced individuals seeking refuge has created a situation that medical personnel are unable to manage.”
“The increasingly perilous conditions complement more than a year of inadequate supplies of medical equipment, fuel, food, and specialized healthcare capabilities.”
The ICRC affirmed its commitment to supporting healthcare services wherever feasible, including working to ensure the safety of medical responders and civilian access to healthcare, along with facilitating the movement of medical personnel and supplies.
WHO demands Israel release Gaza hospital director
Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization has called for the immediate release of Hossam Abu Safiyeh, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is currently held by Israel’s military.
The recent assault on Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia has rendered northern Gaza’s last major health facility out of service and devoid of patients, according to the WHO.
“Hospitals in Gaza have once again become battlegrounds, and the healthcare system is under immense threat,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus remarked on X.
The assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital has left northern Gaza’s last major health facility out of service and emptied of patients (file photo).
“Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is now out of service following the raid, which forced the evacuation of patients and staff, along with the detention of its director whose whereabouts remain unknown. We demand his immediate release.”
Israel’s military indicated that it had taken Abu Safiyeh into custody, suspecting him of being affiliated with Hamas.
When inquired about whether he had been moved to Israeli territory for further interrogation, the military did not immediately respond.
Read: Latest Middle East stories
Mr. Tedros mentioned that critical patients from Kamal Adwan have been relocated to the Indonesian Hospital, “which is also non-functional”.
“In the midst of the ongoing turmoil in northern Gaza, the WHO and its partners have today delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food, and water to Indonesian Hospital and transferred 10 critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital,” he stated.
“We urge Israel to ensure that their healthcare needs and rights are respected.”
He noted that seven patients, along with 15 caregivers and health workers, remain at the “severely damaged” Indonesian Hospital, “which has no capacity to provide care”.
“Al-Ahli Hospital and Al-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza City also experienced attacks today and both are sustaining damage,” Mr. Tedros added.
“We reiterate: cease attacks on hospitals. The people in Gaza require access to healthcare. Humanitarian workers must also have access to provide aid.”
Since October 6 of this year, Israeli actions in Gaza have concentrated in the north, with officials stating that their land and air offensive aims to prevent Hamas from regrouping.
Palestinian Authority reports five additional Gazans die in Israeli custody
The Palestinian Authority’s ministry for detainees and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club announced that they have received reports about the deaths of five Gazans while in Israeli detention.
Amani Sarahna, a spokesperson for the Prisoners’ Club, confirmed that two of the five died yesterday, while the other three died previously.
The club indicated that the five prisoners were arrested during the Israel-Hamas conflict, some while fleeing from northern Gaza toward the south.
According to the two organizations, 54 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli prisons since the onset of the Gaza conflict.
Of the deceased, thirty-five were from Gaza, while the remainder were from the occupied West Bank.
The detainees ministry is a branch of the Palestinian Authority focused on the welfare of Palestinians in Israeli jails and their families.
The two organizations identified four of the deceased prisoners as Mohammad Rashid Okka, 44, Samir Mahmoud al-Kahlout, 52, Zuhair Omar al-Sharif, 58, and Mohammad Anwar Labad, 57.
Another prisoner, Ashraf Mohammad Abu Warda, 51, died in Israel’s Soroka Hospital yesterday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.
Details about how the prisoners died were not provided.
In a joint statement, the two organizations accused Israel of conducting “liquidation operations against prisoners and detainees”.
They claimed that the number of prisoners killed in Israeli jails has reached a historic high, characterizing the situation as “the most brutal phase”.
The statement reported that 291 Palestinian prisoners have died in custody since 1967, the year Israel began its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Currently, over 10,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails, including 89 women, at least 345 children, and 3,428 administrative detainees held without trial.
The Israel Prisons Service did not immediately respond to an AFP request for confirmation of the deaths.
