Israel’s military ordered the closure and evacuation of Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, leaving hundreds of patients and staff in peril. Situated in Beit Lahiya, the facility is one of the last functioning hospitals in the region, under heavy bombardment and direct targeting of its fuel tanks.
Husam Abu Safiya, head of the hospital, said the evacuation was “practically impossible” without ambulances and equipment. The hospital accommodates nearly 400 civilians, including babies in the neonatal unit, who depend on life-saving equipment such as incubators. Abu Safiya said further attacks could cause catastrophic explosions if fuel tanks were hit, risking the lives of those inside.
Israel’s military stated it had provided fuel and food to the hospital, and assisted in evacuating over 100 patients and caregivers to other Gaza facilities. Abu Safiya countered that the military ordered them to transfer patients to an even worse hospital.
Fighting continues as Israeli forces target Hamas militants inside Gaza. The Israeli army has conducted a large operation in northern Gaza, along with reported airstrikes and fights on the ground. Videos of fighters in rubble to fire on Israeli forces as Hamas was said to release footage; Israel said its strikes had hit Hamas’s infrastructure.
In Gaza City, at least 24 Palestinians, including children, were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering displaced families. Israel says it aimed at Hamas militants inside the school, which Hamas denies.
The continuing war has left Gaza in shambles, with more than 45,200 Palestinians reported dead and most of the population displaced. Mediators have increased efforts to negotiate a ceasefire after months of stalled talks.
