Israeli army conducts its third raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya
Date
12/31/2024 4:36:55 AM
(MENAFN) Last weekend, the Israeli army conducted its third raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, located in the northern Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization reported that the attack severely disrupted the hospital’s operations, marking the last medical facility still functioning in the area. A fire broke out in the surgical and laboratory departments, and five medical staff, including a pediatrician, were killed by Israeli gunfire. Around 350 people were inside the hospital, and many were forced to strip naked and evacuate. Some of the injured were taken to the Indonesian hospital, which had also been overtaken by the Israeli military the previous week. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital's director, was arrested by the Israeli forces, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Tragically, three Gazan doctors have died in Israeli custody due to mistreatment or lack of medical care.
Since the war began, over 1,000 health workers have been killed in Gaza, contributing to the collapse of the healthcare system. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients, compounded by the destruction of medical infrastructure and shortages of essential supplies. Global television networks have aired heart-wrenching footage showing children dying on the floors of hospitals, wounded people in excruciating pain without treatment, and overcrowding in the remaining medical centers. Meanwhile, Israeli media remains silent on these events. The Israeli military claimed that 240 fighters were arrested in the hospital area and accused the hospital director of being a Hamas operative, presenting two pistols and a knife as evidence. However, this justification does not align with the severity of the raid, which resulted in the humiliation of patients and doctors.
There is growing suspicion that these deliberate attacks on hospitals are part of a broader strategy to ethnically cleanse the northern Gaza Strip, where the Israeli military has destroyed homes and infrastructure. The absence of medical facilities will force more sick and wounded people to flee south, accelerating the population displacement. The targeting of hospitals in Gaza is a violation of international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention protects hospitals during wartime, and the presence of weapons or enemy combatants does not justify the destruction or mistreatment of these essential facilities. The Israeli army’s actions are illegal, and hospitals must remain protected.
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