THE ISRAELI MILITARY has launched an operation targeting Hamas militants near one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals, while Hamas accused it of storming the facility and evacuating those inside.
The operation, centred near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, followed an announcement from the hospital yesterday that five of its staff members were killed in an Israeli strike.
The military claimed in a statement that the hospital had become “a key stronghold for terrorist organisations and continues to be used as a hideout for terrorist operatives” since Israeli forces began broader operations in northern Gaza in October.
Acting on intelligence regarding “terrorist infrastructure and operatives” in the hospital’s vicinity, the military said it began operations there.
“The troops are conducting targeted operations in the area, while mitigating harm to uninvolved civilians, patients, and medical personnel,” it added.
Since October 6, Israel has intensified its land and air offensive in northern Gaza, stating its goal is to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping in the region.
Before initiating the latest operation near the hospital, the military said its troops had “facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients, and medical personnel”.
But Hamas said Israeli forces had stormed the facility.
“The occupation army stormed Kamal Adwan hospital forcing medical staff, patients, the wounded, and displaced people to evacuate,” it said in a statement.
Surgery departments on fire
Hamas further accused Israeli forces of isolating and detaining those evacuated, saying: “Hamas holds the occupation fully responsible for the lives of patients, wounded, and medical staff after they were cut off from communication, arrested and taken to an unknown location.”
The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, quoting hospital director Hossam Abu Safiyeh, said that the military had “set on fire all surgery departments of the hospital”.
Safiyeh said the military had also “evacuated the entire medical staff and displaced people”.
“There are a large number of injuries among the medical team.”
As of this morning, the hospital housed around 350 people, including 75 injured and sick patients, along with 180 medical staff, Safiyeh said.
Witnesses in the area told AFP that the hospital had been evacuated and hundreds of people living in the vicinity were “forced to seek refuge at Al-Fakhura school and the Indonesian hospital” in Jabalia.
AFP was unable to contact Safiyeh and other hospital officials or independently verify how many people had been evacuated from the facility.
The Israeli military has regularly accused Hamas of using hospitals as command and control centres for attacks against its forces throughout the war. Hamas has denied these accusations.
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