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Israel detains Kamal Adwan director, hospital 'out of service'

Israel detains director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan, hospital 'empty, out of service'
MENA
9 min read
28 December, 2024
Israeli forces have burned the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza after weeks of attacks, and detained dozens of its staff including the director

Gaza health officials said on Saturday that Israeli forces detained the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, which has been mostly burned and put out of service by the Israeli military.

"The occupation forces have taken dozens of the medical staff from Kamal Adwan Hospital to a detention centre for interrogation, including the director, Hussam Abu Safiya," the health ministry and the Gaza civil defence agency confirmed.

The civil defence agency's director for the north, Ahmed Hassan al-Kahlout was also detained.

"The occupation has completely destroyed the medical, humanitarian, and civil defence systems in the north, rendering them useless," Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defence agency, told AFP.

On Friday, the Israeli military said it had launched an operation in the area of Kamal Adwan Hospital, putting the facility out of service.

"This morning's raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital has put this last major health facility in north Gaza out of service. Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid," the WHO said in a statement on X.

The WHO said 60 health workers and 25 patients are in critical condition, including those on ventilators, reportedly remain in the hospital.

The WHO reiterated its call for a ceasefire, saying, "Such hostilities and the raids are undoing all our efforts and support to keep the facility minimal functional. The systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza is a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of health care."