Amidst the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City is grappling with severe challenges. This esteemed healthcare facility, considered one of the major medical centers in the region, has faced a significant downturn in its condition.
Critics worldwide are closely monitoring the evolving situation in Gaza, expressing concerns about the deteriorating medical conditions and the possible collapse of the healthcare system.
Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, the hospital's pediatric clinic lead, described the situation as dangerous, stating that the area surrounding the hospital experienced a particularly intense bombing attack upon the arrival of Israeli troops on Tuesday. Dr. Abu Safia mentioned that the Israeli army had summoned all males aged 16 to 65 to exit the building for a search.
He reported that more than 70 medical personnel had been "arrested and transported to unknown locations," including the hospital's director, Dr. Ahmad Al-Karot. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza responded to Abu Safia's claims in a statement.
Just 24 hours prior, Al-Karot had alleged in an interview with CNN that Israeli tank shells had struck the delivery unit of the hospital on Monday, resulting in the loss of two women and necessitating the amputation of both legs for two more, who were left in critical condition. CNN was unable to reach Dr. Alkarott on Tuesday.
In response to questions about the arrests, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated they would continue operations against Hamas command centers in northern Gaza, including Beit Lahia. The IDF also affirmed their efforts to minimize harm to non-combatants while combating Hamas and not targeting the civilian population of Gaza or the medical personnel within the region.
Allegations of Extreme Conditions
Israel has been subject to harsh criticism for its actions in and around Gaza's hospitals. Medical professionals and humanitarian organizations have warned that the healthcare system in Gaza is no longer functional and cannot withstand the pressure.
Last month, the Israeli military stormed the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, Al Shifa, and conducted a search for evidence of a large command and control center. Doctors quickly evacuated patients and dozens of newborns, requiring makeshift incubators. Afterward, the IDF led a group of journalists through underground tunnels on hospital grounds, including several small underground spaces. CNN had yet to enter the tunnels.
In Rantisi Children's Hospital, medical staff were ordered to leave, as the IDF conducted operations within the hospital. Israeli military personnel later claimed that they had discovered a Hamas weapons cache in a basement room containing a weapon and a chair with a rope – an assertion disputed by healthcare workers in the Gaza Strip.
Many medical centers not only treat patients but also serve as safe havens for displaced Gazans seeking refuge. Disappointingly, those seeking refuge in hospitals discovered they were not provided safe haven, as Dr. Marie-Orr Perrault, the Not for Profit Coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, stated.
While hospitals are protected under international law, they can be considered legitimate military targets if they harbor combat-ready personnel and weapons. The Israeli military has maintained that they only operate in and around hospitals used by Hamas and other armed groups.
According to Dr. Abu Safia, he and five other doctors were permitted to remain at Kamal Adwan to care for patients on the intensive care unit and premature newborns. He stated that they were asked to gather in one area or building, with all doors and windows closed, and that they should remain at a distance from the Israeli forces.
However, Abu Safia revealed that the remaining hospital staff could provide minimal care for the weakest patients as pre-existing supply shortages of fuel, water, food, and medical supplies had already worsened the situation. He added that power and water are no longer available in Gaza's hospitals, and that the doctors rely on primitive headlamps to visualize patients in the hospitals.
Richard Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization's representative in Gaza, announced on Tuesday that only 11 hospitals in the besieged enclave remain partially functioning. "In just 66 days, the healthcare system has gone from 36 functioning hospitals to 11 partially functional hospitals – one in the north and 10 in the south," he said.
On the same day, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted about his concern over "reports of an attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza following several days of siege."
Several hospitals in northern Gaza have temporarily closed operations due to evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military. The Israeli military has denied issuing such orders.
In addition, various hospitals in Gaza have been forced to close due to fuel shortages, while others suffered damage as a result of aerial attacks, according to the World Health Organization.
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The current situation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City is marked by severe deterioration and allegations of medical staff being "kidnapped" or detained by Israeli forces. Here are the key points:
- Detention of Medical Staff:
- Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested by Israeli forces in December 2024. He has been detained since then and has been subjected to severe torture and ill-treatment, according to his family and a lawyer who visited him at Ofer Prison[3].
- Hospital Destruction:
- In late December 2024, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, arresting Abu Safiya at gunpoint, and destroying the hospital, rendering it non-functional[3]. This incident sparked widespread condemnation, especially after an image circulated of Abu Safiya walking alone amid the ruins, dressed in his medical coat, surrounded by Israeli military vehicles[3].
- Healthcare System Collapse:
- The healthcare system in Gaza has collapsed, with many hospitals either partially functional or destroyed. Only 16 of 36 hospitals in Gaza remain partially functional, and most of these cannot treat complex injuries or chronic diseases[1].
- The Israeli military has systematically targeted Gaza’s health care system, bombing and besieging hospitals, ordering evacuations, and blocking medical supplies, particularly in northern Gaza[3].
- Humanitarian Crisis:
- The ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Over 12,000 bodies remain trapped under the rubble, and there is a severe lack of equipment to retrieve them. Israel is also delaying the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, despite the ceasefire agreement being in effect for several weeks[4].
- The Israeli occupation is violating the humanitarian protocol agreed upon as part of the ceasefire deal, deliberately delaying and obstructing the entry of urgently needed humanitarian aid, shelter, and relief supplies for the Palestinian people in Gaza[4].
- Allegations of War Crimes:
- The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave[3].
The allegations of medical staff being "kidnapped" and the deteriorating conditions at Kamal Adwan Hospital are part of a broader pattern of Israeli military actions that have severely impacted the healthcare system and civilian infrastructure in Gaza.
