In the attack, reportedly carried out by Israeli forces, some areas of the hospital were burned and severely damaged, including the laboratory, surgical unit and medical warehouse. The hospital’s director, Dr. Abu Safiya, is believed to have been detained during the raid. The WHO has lost contact with him.
Several people were reportedly stripped naked and forced to walk towards southern Gaza.while patients in critical condition were forced to transfer to Indonesian Hospital, which lacks the necessary equipment and supplies to provide adequate care. The WHO says the movement and treatment of patients in such conditions pose serious risks to their survival. An urgent WHO mission to the Indonesian hospital is being planned for Sunday to safely transfer them to southern Gaza for continued care.
Attacks on the rise
The WHO described the raid as part of the “systematic dismantling of the health system,” noting that, over a two-month period, attacks on health workers and hospitals in the area have occurred almost daily: This week alone, bombings in its surroundings reportedly killed 50 people, including five health workers at the Kamal Adwan hospital.
The deployment of international emergency medical teams has been repeatedly denied and, despite increasingly urgent needs for emergency and trauma services and supplies, only 10 of the 21 WHO missions to Kamal Adwan have been partially facilitated between principles of October and December.
Despite the restrictions, WHO missions managed to deliver 45,000 liters of fuel, medical supplies, blood and food were delivered, and 114 patients along with 123 of their companions were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
