GAZA CITY: Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Friday, detaining approximately 100 people, including male medical staff, as they conducted a raid lasting until Saturday. Gaza’s health ministry and hospital officials condemned the incursion, describing it as a serious escalation in the ongoing crisis impacting health services.
The ministry stated that Israeli forces damaged parts of the hospital during the operation, which has already been heavily strained by ongoing airstrikes and shortages of essential supplies. Video footage, though not independently verified, circulated over the weekend, showing extensive damage to the hospital compound. Medical workers reported that power cuts and depleted resources have further impeded patient care, leaving facilities in a state of extreme crisis.
According to Palestinian medical staff, the raid forced evacuations of civilians who had taken shelter inside the hospital, with Israeli forces separating men from women and detaining a significant number of staff members. A hospital nurse, Mayssoun Alian, reported that evacuees were forced into humiliating conditions, some left without adequate clothing or belongings.
The ministry added that at least two children in intensive care lost their lives as the hospital’s oxygen systems and generators sustained damage. The ministry denies the presence of any armed groups within the facility, asserting that the hospital’s occupants were limited to civilians, patients, and medical personnel who continued to treat the injured despite the risks.
