Jerusalem:
An Israeli navy operation Friday focusing on Hamas militants close to the Kamal Adwan Hospital has put the final main well being facility in northern Gaza out of service, the World Well being Group mentioned.
“Preliminary stories point out that some key departments had been severely burnt and destroyed through the raid,” the WHO mentioned in a press release on X.
Israel’s navy claimed in a press release that the hospital had turn into “a key stronghold for terrorist organisations and continues for use as a hideout for terrorist operatives” since Israeli forces started broader operations in northern Gaza in October.
The WHO mentioned 60 well being staff and 25 sufferers in crucial situation, together with these on ventilators, reportedly stay within the hospital.
The sufferers in average to extreme situation had been pressured to evacuate to the destroyed and non-functional Indonesian Hospital, the UN well being company mentioned, including that it was “deeply involved for his or her security”.
Since October 6, Israel has intensified its land and air offensive in northern Gaza, stating its aim is to stop Hamas militants from regrouping, and mentioned Friday that it was performing on intelligence relating to “terrorist infrastructure and operatives” within the hospital’s neighborhood.
Earlier than initiating the most recent operation close to the hospital, the navy mentioned its troops had “facilitated the safe evacuation of civilians, sufferers, and medical personnel”.
The WHO reiterated its name for a ceasefire.
“This raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital comes after escalating restrictions on entry for WHO and companions, and repeated assaults on or close to the power since early October,” the WHO mentioned.
“Such hostilities and the raids are undoing all our efforts and assist to maintain the power minimal purposeful. The systematic dismantling of the well being system in Gaza is a loss of life sentence for tens of hundreds of Palestinians in want of well being care.”
Hamas denied its militants had been current within the hospital, and charged that Israeli forces had stormed the power on Friday.
“We categorically deny the presence of any navy exercise or resistance fighters within the hospital,” Hamas mentioned in a press release.
“The enemy’s lies in regards to the hospital intention to justify the heinous crime dedicated by the occupation military at present, involving the evacuation and burning of all hospital departments as a part of a plan for extermination and compelled displacement.”
Hamas urged the United Nations to arrange an investigation committee “to look at the dimensions of crime being dedicated in northern Gaza”.
– ‘Surgical procedure departments on fireplace’ –
The well being ministry within the Hamas-run territory, quoting hospital director Hossam Abu Safiyeh, mentioned that the navy had “set on fireplace all surgical procedure departments of the hospital”.
Abu Safiyeh mentioned the navy had additionally “evacuated the whole medical employees and displaced individuals”.
“There are a lot of accidents among the many medical workforce.”
As of Friday morning, the hospital housed round 350 individuals, together with 75 injured and sick sufferers, together with 180 medical employees, Abu Safiyeh mentioned.
Witnesses within the space advised AFP that the hospital had been evacuated and tons of of individuals residing within the neighborhood had been “pressured to hunt refuge at Al-Fakhura college and the Indonesian hospital” in Jabalia.
AFP was unable to contact Abu Safiyeh and different hospital officers or independently confirm how many individuals had been evacuated from the power.
The Israeli navy has usually accused Hamas of utilizing hospitals as command and management centres for assaults towards its forces all through the battle. Hamas has denied these accusations.
On Thursday, Abu Safiyeh mentioned that 5 employees members had been killed in an Israeli strike.
The navy, when contacted by AFP, didn’t touch upon the strike.
In latest days, Abu Safiyeh has repeatedly raised considerations in regards to the hospital’s scenario, accusing Israeli forces of focusing on the power.
“The world should perceive that our hospital is being focused with the intent to kill and forcibly displaced the individuals inside,” he mentioned in a press release on Monday.
The World Well being Group has described circumstances at Kamal Adwan Hospital as “appalling” and mentioned it was working at a “minimal” degree.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)