Israeli Defense Forces conducted a raid on the Kamal Adouane hospital in northern Gaza, detaining 240 individuals, including the hospital’s director, amid allegations of Hamas ties. The Gaza Health Ministry expressed concern for the director’s safety, reporting he suffered abuse. The operation has raised significant healthcare access issues, prompting condemnation from the World Health Organization. Concurrently, Israeli airstrikes resulted in 18 Palestinian deaths, further escalating tensions in the region.
Recent Israeli Military Actions in Gaza
CAIRO/JERUSALEM – The Israeli Defense Forces announced on Saturday that they apprehended 240 individuals during a raid on the Kamal Adouane hospital located in northern Gaza. This group includes the hospital’s director and several medical staff members.
The Gaza Health Ministry raised alarms regarding the well-being of Houssam Abou Safiya, the hospital’s director. Released staff members reported that he had faced physical abuse at the hands of soldiers during the raid.
Concerns Over Healthcare Access
Israeli forces executed a surprise operation at the Kamal Adouane hospital on Friday, one of three critical medical facilities in the northern region of Gaza, compelling numerous patients to evacuate. The Israeli military asserts that the hospital was allegedly serving as a command post for Hamas, claiming that those detained were suspected militants. The facility’s director is now under investigation due to suspected affiliations with the Islamist organization.
In response, Hamas has denied these allegations, stating that no militants were present at the hospital and has refrained from commenting on the arrests.
This operation has led to the closure of a significant healthcare facility in northern Gaza, a move that has drawn condemnation from the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO expressed its dismay over the raid and highlighted the ongoing crisis, noting that the systematic dismantling of the healthcare system and the prolonged siege of northern Gaza endanger the lives of approximately 75,000 Palestinians who remain in the region.
As a result of the raid, some patients were relocated to the Indonesian hospital, which is also facing operational challenges, and medical personnel were not permitted to accompany them, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry. Other patients and staff members were transferred to alternative medical facilities.
The Israeli army stated that prior to the raid, 350 patients and medical staff were evacuated, and an additional 95 were moved to the Indonesian hospital during the operation, in coordination with local health authorities.
Both the Kamal Adouane hospital and other facilities in the area, including the Indonesian and Al Aouda hospitals, have reportedly been targets of frequent attacks by Israeli forces in recent weeks, according to Palestinian medical sources.
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced it had launched overnight operations against specific targets in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza, issuing new evacuation orders in the process. A significant portion of the territories surrounding Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya has been evacuated of its residents and faces systematic destruction. Palestinians allege that Israel aims to establish a buffer zone in this area post-conflict, a claim that has been denied by the Israeli government.
The Gaza Health Ministry also reported that 18 Palestinians lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, including nine casualties in the Maghazi camp located in the center of the enclave. The Israeli army has not commented on these fatalities.