Israeli forces entered a hospital compound in northern Gaza amid a UN warning that one of the conflict’s ‘darkest moments’ is unfolding in the region.
Following days of siege on the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, the Israeli military entered the compound twice over the past 24 hours, opening fire within parts of the facility, according to Gaza’s health ministry and the hospital director.
Supplies at the hospital are running low, and aid is urgently needed as injured residents from nearby areas seek treatment amid intensified military operations in northern Gaza, health authorities report.
‘This is one of the darkest moments in the Gaza conflict,’ UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Friday, condemning the extensive impact on civilians. He added that the Israeli actions, which have involved bombing and siege tactics, risk subjecting the local population to extreme hardship, raising concerns of possible crimes against humanity.
On Saturday, Gaza’s health ministry reported that Israeli forces detained all male medical staff and confined female staff and patients in a hospital room without food or water.
World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated Friday that WHO has lost contact with personnel at Kamal Adwan Hospital, adding that the facility was caring for a large number of patients and those sheltering there. A later statement said that Israeli forces had withdrawn but left only a limited number of staff to care for nearly 200 patients.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital director, described the entry of Israeli tanks and bulldozers late Thursday, reporting shelling throughout the complex and continuous bombing. He noted that Israeli forces had separated staff from patients, evacuated certain areas, and detained 44 staff members.
The Israeli military stated it is operating around Kamal Adwan Hospital based on intelligence about militant activity, asserting that they had previously enabled patient evacuations.
Officials in Gaza describe severe shortages of resources, with only limited supplies of fuel, blood, and medical provisions arriving on Thursday night. Food, water, and sufficient medical supplies remain unavailable, and the hospital’s ability to function is heavily restricted.