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An Israeli army raid on a hospital in Gaza has put the final main well being facility within the besieged strip’s north out of service, exacerbating a deepening humanitarian disaster within the enclave, in accordance with the UN’s well being company.
The assault on the Kamal Adwan Hospital got here as Israel stepped up an offensive in northern Gaza that started in October and has killed a whole bunch of individuals and compelled tens of hundreds to flee.
The Israeli army mentioned it’s combating to forestall Hamas regrouping in Gaza’s north, the place many of the inhabitants have been compelled to flee throughout Israel’s 14-month offensive towards the Palestinian militant group.
The World Well being Organisation mentioned preliminary reviews indicated that key departments of the medical facility had been severely burnt and destroyed through the raid on Friday.
It mentioned that 60 well being employees and 25 sufferers in crucial situation, together with these on ventilators, remained on the hospital, whereas others had been compelled to evacuate to a different broken hospital.
“The systematic dismantling of the well being system in Gaza is a demise sentence for tens of hundreds of Palestinians in want of healthcare,” WHO mentioned in an announcement late on Friday. “This horror should finish and healthcare should be protected.”
The Palestinian well being ministry mentioned Kamal Adwan’s working and surgical departments, laboratory, upkeep, ambulance models and warehouses had “been fully burnt”.
“The occupation military is forcibly transferring the sick and injured, at gunpoint . . . to the Indonesian hospital, which lacks medical provides, water, medicines and even electrical energy and turbines,” it mentioned in an announcement. “There are sufferers who’re threatened with demise at any second on account of the cruel circumstances.”
The Israeli army mentioned on Saturday it had concluded a two-day operation on the hospital after the power had been changed into a “main terror stronghold” by Hamas.
Some 240 suspected militants had been arrested on the hospital, a few of whom had been posing as sufferers, together with the hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya, who was at the moment “being questioned in Gaza”, spokesperson Nadav Shoshani mentioned.
The Israeli army strenuously denied its forces had been liable for beginning a “small hearth in an empty constructing” on the facility the day earlier than, which Shoshani mentioned had prompted minimal injury.
Hamas denied that its fighters had been utilizing the hospital for army actions.
UN businesses and humanitarian teams have repeatedly condemned Israel for attacking medical services in Gaza because it launched its offensive towards Hamas after the Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 assault killed 1,200 folks.
The WHO mentioned it had verified 516 assaults on well being services and medical transport in Gaza, including that greater than 90 per cent of the strip’s medical services had been both broken or destroyed.
The Israeli offensive in northern Gaza has continued as mediators push for a deal to finish the battle and to safe the discharge of the remaining Israeli hostages held within the strip earlier than US president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White Home subsequent month.
The operation has decreased Jabalia, which earlier than the battle was the biggest refugee camp in Gaza and residential to greater than 100,000 folks, to rubble, and expanded to neighbouring Beit Lahia the place the Kamal Adwan Hospital is situated.
On Saturday, the Israeli army mentioned its forces had begun operations within the Beit Hanoun district.
Over the course of the day, two long-range rockets had been fired from the realm in the direction of Jerusalem, in accordance with Israeli authorities — the primary such barrage from Gaza in months. The projectiles had been intercepted by Israeli air defences.
Israel’s offensive has killed greater than 45,000 folks, in accordance with Palestinian well being officers, and compelled the overwhelming majority of the strip’s 2.3mn folks from their houses.
