Israeli forces have retreated from a hospital complex in northern Gaza just a day after their incursion, while the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least 30 individuals lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes on multiple residences in Beit Lahiya, located in northern Gaza.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli troops had apprehended numerous male medical personnel as well as some patients at the hospital complex.
Health officials stated that Israeli forces had invaded Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities grappling to maintain operations in the area.
Footage released by the health ministry revealed extensive damage to several buildings following the Israeli forces’ withdrawal.
Later, it was reported that the army had released 14 detainees, including the director of the hospital.
An Israeli military spokesperson refrained from commenting on the situation regarding the hospital.
Gaza’s health ministry alleged yesterday that Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Jabalia camp, where they initiated a significant operation earlier this month.
In a statement yesterday, the Israeli military claimed it operated in the vicinity of the hospital based on intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists and related infrastructure.
Medical personnel reported that at least two children perished inside the intensive care unit after Israeli fire struck the generators and oxygen supply unit in the hospital yesterday.
Medical staff have defied orders from the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or abandon their patients.
Prior to the military raid, medics indicated that approximately 600 individuals were present in the hospital, including patients and their caregivers.
Marwan Al-Hams from the health ministry stated, “The safety and lives of patients left inside Kamal Adwan Hospital without medical staff and essential medication are now at risk.”
The Gaza ministry noted that Israeli military strikes on Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya have resulted in the deaths of around 800 people over the past three weeks of conflict.
Israel asserts that its forces returned to northern Gaza to eliminate Hamas fighters who had regrouped in the area. The Israeli military announced on Friday that three of its soldiers were killed during combat in northern Gaza.
A photograph depicts damage to an ambulance at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.
WHO urges protection for hospitals
Earlier, the head of the World Health Organization warned of a dire situation in the northern part of the war-torn Gaza Strip, citing “intense military operations occurring around and within healthcare facilities.”
“The situation in northern Gaza is catastrophic,” stated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X, cautioning that “a critical lack of medical supplies, alongside severely restricted access, is preventing individuals from receiving life-saving care.”
He specifically highlighted the plight of Kamal Adwan, the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, which was stormed by Israeli forces yesterday, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.
The ministry claimed that the incursion into the facility at Jabalia camp, where Israel commenced a significant operation earlier this month, led to the deaths of two children.
Additionally, it accused Israeli forces of detaining hundreds of staff members, patients, and displaced individuals during the raid.
The Israeli military acknowledged operating around Kamal Adwan but stated it was “not aware of live fire and strikes in the area of the hospital.”
Mr. Tedros mentioned that the Gaza health ministry had informed the WHO, which temporarily lost contact with its staff at the hospital amid the turmoil, that the siege had come to an end.
“However, it came at a heavy cost,” he remarked.
