Israeli forces detained more than 240 Palestinians, including dozens of medical staff, during a raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Israel’s military. Among those detained was Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, whose wellbeing is a matter of concern after reports from released staff alleged he was beaten by soldiers.
The Israeli military claimed the hospital was being used as a Hamas command center, stating that those arrested were suspected militants. Abu Safiya was reportedly taken for questioning due to alleged ties to Hamas. However, Hamas has denied these allegations, insisting that no fighters had operated from the hospital during the ongoing 15-month Gaza war. The group has not commented on the arrests.
In a statement, Hamas called on the United Nations and international agencies to protect hospitals and medical facilities in northern Gaza and ensure their supply lines. It also urged for U.N. observers to be deployed at medical facilities to counter Israel’s claims of their use for military operations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed alarm at the raid, noting it rendered the Kamal Adwan Hospital—the last major health facility in the region—non-operational. “WHO is appalled by yesterday’s raid. The systematic dismantling of the health system and a siege for over 80 days on North Gaza puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk,” the organization stated on X.
Patients from the hospital were relocated to other facilities, including the Indonesian Hospital, which is currently not in service, while medics were reportedly barred from joining them. The incident further exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as medical services in the northern region face near-total collapse.
