Zim Now Writer
A reported Israeli strike on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, claimed at least 29 lives on Friday, with dozens more injured, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. The hospital, one of the last functioning health facilities in the region, sustained significant damage, further straining the already dire humanitarian situation.
Hospital director Hossam Abu Safieh confirmed that several airstrikes targeted the northern and western sides of the hospital early Friday morning, accompanied by intense gunfire. Among the casualties were four hospital staff members. “Following the latest raid, no surgeons remain at the facility,” Abu Safieh stated.
The civil defense agency's spokesperson, Mahmud Bassal, reported that Israeli forces entered the hospital, evacuating patients and arresting several Palestinians. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident.
This attack follows weeks of intensified military operations in Beit Lahia, forcing thousands to flee. The World Health Organization (WHO) had managed to send an emergency medical team to the hospital just days before the strike, marking their first visit in 60 days. However, the renewed violence forced the team to leave.
Dr. Faradina Sulistiyani, a surgeon with the WHO team, described the scene as chaotic. “Panic caused by bombing and shelling, along with the panicked crowd inside the hospital, led us to leave on foot,” she said.
Despite the lack of an official evacuation order, many patients and staff remain at the hospital, which continues to operate at minimal capacity. However, supplies, including fuel, have run out due to the ongoing blockade of Gaza’s northern region since early October.
Rights groups have accused Israeli forces of implementing a strategy to evacuate or starve the population in northern Gaza. Israeli government spokesman David Mencer stated on Thursday that displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return until military operations conclude.
The hospital has previously come under attack during the 14-month-long conflict. Last month, an airstrike killed Dr. Ahmad al-Kahlut, the director of Kamal Adwan’s intensive care unit.
As the conflict intensifies, humanitarian organizations continue to raise concerns over the safety of civilians and the preservation of medical neutrality in conflict zones.
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