Four doctors were killed at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza on Friday after Israeli forces stormed the facility, according to eyewitnesses who spoke with CNN. The incident has ignited protests across the region amid escalating violence.
Police confirmed that the Israeli military conducted a raid that resulted in numerous injuries nearby. Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Saifya reported that health care workers and patients were forcibly evacuated during the raid, and essential medical supplies were destroyed.
In the early hours of Friday, two plainclothes officers entered the hospital and announced via megaphone that people needed to evacuate. Over the course of the two-hour operation, the military detained many young men, including health workers and individuals seeking refuge. Abu Saifya described how Israeli quadcopters unleashed “intense and direct fire” as military vehicles surrounded the hospital, ultimately forcing patients and displaced people into the courtyard before escorting them to a checkpoint further south.
“The initial assault included airstrikes on the northern and western sides of the hospital, followed by direct gunfire,” Abu Saifya stated. “We were shocked to find hundreds of bodies and injured individuals in the streets surrounding the hospital.” He characterized the situation in northern Gaza as “catastrophic,” particularly around Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Included among those forced to evacuate were members of an Indonesian medical delegation, the only team still performing surgeries at the hospital, as reported by Abu Saifya.
Following the hours-long raid, which culminated in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawing from one of the last operational medical facilities in northern Gaza, hospital staff and patients found numerous bodies and injured individuals lining the streets. Abu Saifya shared that images posted on social media showed at least 17 bodies shrouded in cloth in the hospital courtyard, with another 20 individuals left injured and in urgent need of medical attention.
Abu Saifya also noted that the IDF severely damaged oxygen generators during the overnight attack, leaving only two inexperienced surgeons available to provide life-saving care.
In response to the military action, the IDF denied conducting operations within Kamal Adwan Hospital, claiming instead that forces were targeting “terror infrastructure” and militants in the adjacent Jabalya region.
The IDF stated, “We continue to operate against terror infrastructure in the Jabaliya area, including near Kamal Adwan Hospital,” adding that efforts have been made with international organizations to transfer patients and medical staff to other operational hospitals in Gaza.
According to a U.N. official, there was no official evacuation order prior to the raid, which led to chaos as people attempted to escape, at which point they reportedly became targets of IDF gunfire.
This incident adds to the rising anger over police violence in the region, especially after a separate case in which an off-duty officer fatally shot a man accused of shoplifting.
In a series of protests, demonstrators have called for accountability and justice, voicing their frustration over the ongoing violence. Many citizens feel the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, demanding immediate action to protect medical facilities and personnel.
The health ministry in Ramallah issued a statement on Friday, asserting that Kamal Adwan Hospital is facing “new war crimes,” accusing the occupying forces of perpetrating “all forms of killing and violence” around the facility. They emphasized the urgent need for protection of medical centers, personnel, and supplies amidst escalating aggression.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health in Ramallah reported that over 1,050 health workers have lost their lives since the onset of Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on October 7. As the conflict continues, the urgency for international attention and intervention remains critical.
Credit: CNN
