As the situation in northern Gaza deteriorates, Israeli forces have breached the Kamal Adwan Hospital compound, escalating what the United Nations is describing as one of the “darkest moments” in the ongoing conflict. Following days of siege, Israeli military units entered the facility twice over the past 24 hours, reportedly opening fire within the hospital complex, according to the Gaza health ministry and the hospital director.
With supplies running dangerously low and an influx of injured patients from surrounding areas caused by renewed military offensives, Kamal Adwan Hospital faces an overwhelming crisis. Health authorities have sounded the alarm as the facility struggles to keep its doors open amidst escalating violence and shortages.
Volker Turk, the UN’s human rights chief, condemned the actions of the Israeli military, asserting that the ongoing bombardment and siege reflect a systematic assault on the civilian population. “The Israeli military is effectively subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation, as well as being forced to choose between mass displacement and being trapped in an active conflict zone,” Turk stated, warning that such actions could equate to crimes against humanity.
The Gaza health ministry reported on Saturday that Israeli troops had detained all male medical staff within the hospital, while female staff were confined to a single room, lacking food and water. The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed deep concern following the Israeli raid, indicating that the organisation has lost contact with personnel at the facility. “This development is deeply disturbing given the number of patients being served and people sheltering there,” he stated on X, underlining the precariousness of the situation.
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, hospital director, recounted the harrowing events leading up to the raid, stating that tanks and bulldozers entered the hospital compound on Thursday and began firing upon the complex. In a distressing video statement, he lamented, “Instead of receiving aid, we are receiving tanks.” He described the inhumane conditions and ongoing violence, revealing that nearly 200 patients remain in critical need of care, now predominantly without sufficient staff to attend to them.
Despite the brutal assault, Dr Abu Safiya reported that Israeli troops still maintained a presence at the hospital, indicating ongoing interrogations of the hospital’s medical staff. “The situation is extremely tragic and terrifying, and the bombing is continuous,” he said, painting a grim picture of life within the hospital’s walls as it becomes increasingly unrecognisable under military pressure.
Among Gaza’s health facilities, Kamal Adwan is now one of only three minimally operational hospitals in the region, struggling to cope with the relentless influx of casualties from areas such as Beit Lahiya and the Jabalya Refugee Camp. In response to the humanitarian disaster, the Israeli military asserted its operations were based on “intelligence information regarding the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure” in the vicinity of the hospital, maintaining that they had facilitated patient evacuations while providing emergency services in the lead-up to their actions.