Catastrophic Assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital Leaves Scores Dead and Care in Crisis

Early Friday morning, a devastating series of Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, left scores dead and injured, according to the hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. The strikes targeted the northern and western sides of the facility, which has been one of the last hospitals still operational in the area, despite the ongoing conflict. Dr. Safiya reported that while the initial airstrikes did not directly harm anyone inside the hospital, they were soon followed by heavy and direct gunfire. As dawn broke, the streets surrounding the hospital were filled with bodies, and among the deceased were four medical staff members. "The situation inside and around the hospital is catastrophic," Dr. Safiya stated, highlighting a critical shortage of medical supplies and the overwhelming number of casualties, a figure he claimed could not be independently verified. The World Health Organization's chief representative for the Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, indicated that the chaos escalated when Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of the hospital. He noted that this order, which sparked panic among patients and staff, was not preceded by the type of official evacuation notice typically issued before airstrikes, leading to confusion and an increase in casualties as people attempted to flee. Witnesses described scenes of panic as individuals tried to escape by climbing over walls, only to come under fire from Israeli troops. Dr. Peeperkorn remarked on the incomprehensible nature of the situation, emphasizing the tragic circumstances surrounding the hospital's operations amid ongoing violence. Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in a densely populated area just north of Gaza City, has been a critical facility for medical care during the conflict. However, the Israeli military has accused Hamas of using the hospital as a base, a claim Gaza officials have consistently denied. The military's operations have led to the detention or expulsion of most staff members, leaving limited medical personnel to care for a significant number of patients, many of whom are civilians seeking refuge there. In a harrowing account, Dr. Safiya described how after the order to evacuate, patients and their caregivers were forcibly moved to a nearby checkpoint, where they were required to bring one companion for assistance. The chaos of the situation, exacerbated by the ongoing military actions, made the evacuation process perilous and traumatic. The attack not only resulted in human casualties but also caused damage to critical medical infrastructure; oxygen generators at the hospital were hit, leaving the facility with only two inexperienced surgeons to operate on approximately 20 critically injured patients. Among the medical staff that had recently arrived to assist were a team of six Indonesian surgeons, who had been forced to leave after just a week of service. As the situation continues to unfold, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that prior days had already seen intense military operations that led to the death of key medical personnel and further damaged hospital facilities. The use of drones to target the hospital and the death of a 16-year-old patient in the chaos illustrate the dire circumstances faced by medical teams and patients alike in Gaza. With the humanitarian crisis deepening and access to essential medical care rapidly diminishing, the conflict’s toll on civilians, particularly the vulnerable populations relying on the services of hospitals like Kamal Adwan, raises urgent concerns over the protection of medical facilities and personnel in war zones.