The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza on 28 December, following a bombing that reportedly killed dozens in the vicinity, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The bombing follows a military operation around the hospital, launched by the Israeli military on Friday, 27 December, “to target Hamas operatives.”
In response to Israeli claims, Hamas declared, “We categorically deny the presence of any military activity or resistance fighters in the hospital, whether from Al-Qassam Brigades or any other faction. The hospital was open to everyone, and international and UN institutions are well-acquainted with it.”
Hamas’ statement further stated, “The enemy’s lies about the hospital are an attempt to justify the heinous crime committed by the occupation army today by evacuating and burning all sections of the hospital, as part of a plan of extermination and forced displacement.”
According to the Ministry of Health, the Israeli army “stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital,” forcing “medical staff, patients, and their companions to strip in the severe cold before taking them out of the hospital to an unknown location.”
Dozens of staff members from Kamal Adwan Hospital, including the hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, were detained and taken to an interrogation center, according to the Ministry.
The World Health Organization rendered Kamal Adwan Hospital out of service due to the Israeli military operation, stating that “initial reports indicate that some key departments were burned and severely damaged during the raid.”
