Israeli forces have withdrawn from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza after conducting a forceful raid that led to the detention of dozens of medics and patients, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported. The incident has left one of Gaza’s few remaining functional hospitals in disarray, damaging vital medical supplies and infrastructure, and prompting calls for international assistance, reports the Al Jazeera.
The Gaza Health Ministry urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to evacuate wounded individuals from Kamal Adwan Hospital, which serves as a critical healthcare hub for residents in the embattled northern region of Gaza. Marwan al-Hams, the ministry’s director of field hospitals, expressed concern over the impact of the attack, saying, “The smell of death has spread around the hospital,” and highlighting that medical supplies were destroyed by Israeli forces, limiting the hospital’s ability to treat the injured.
At the time of the raid, more than 600 people, including patients and their families, were taking shelter within the hospital. The Israeli military reportedly detained at least 44 members of the hospital’s medical team, releasing 14 later, including the hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safia.
WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took to social media, expressing deep concern over Gaza’s escalating medical crisis, compounded by the severe shortage of life-saving supplies and limited access to essential care. Al Jazeera journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum reported widespread damage, including the destruction of the hospital’s ICU and pharmaceutical warehouse.
Outside the hospital, bullet casings littered the ground, and footage from inside showed damaged wards and patients lying on floors. Witnesses reported Israeli forces entered the hospital early Friday morning, opening fire, bulldozing tents housing displaced civilians, and destroying hospital equipment. Medics confirmed that two children in intensive care perished when the facility’s generators and oxygen supplies were targeted.
Dr. Hisham Sakani, Kamal Adwan’s spokesperson, noted this was the 14th attack on the hospital since the war began. The United Nations’ special rapporteur on health condemned the sustained assaults, referring to them as “medicide” – the intentional destruction of healthcare infrastructure and personnel.
Since Israel launched its offensive on October 7, more than 42,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with at least 17 of Gaza’s 35 hospitals now partially operational. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that detained medical staff were deprived of food and water, and three ambulances were also destroyed in the recent assault.
