Staff injured and dozens detained by Israel at Kamal Adwan north Gaza hospital: WHO

AFP , Saturday 26 Oct 2024

The World Health Organization said it has regained contact with staff at a northern Gaza hospital under siege by Israel, finding that three health workers had been injured and 44 detained.

Gaza hospital
Palestinians injured in Israeli bombardment of the Beit Lahia Project area receive treatment at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP

 

Kamal Adwan, northern Gaza's last functioning hospital, "is still under siege, but we managed to get in touch with the staff", WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X late Friday.

"Three health workers and another employee have been injured, 44 health workers have been detained and four ambulances damaged," he said.

 

 

On Friday Gaza's health ministry said Israeli occupation forces stormed Kamal Adwan hospital in the Jabalia camp, where it launched a major assault earlier this month.

It said the raid left two children dead, as Israeli forces detained hundreds of staff, patients and displaced people during the raid.

The Israeli army confirmed its forces were operating around Kamal Adwan, but failed to mention the hospital raid.

WHO said Friday afternoon that it had lost contact with staff at Kamal Adwan, with Tedros describing the development in an earlier post on X the development as "deeply disturbing".

Tedros said the WHO and partner agencies had reached the hospital late on Wednesday night and managed to transfer 23 patients and 26 caregivers to the Palestinian territory's main Al-Shifa Hospital.

"Kamal Adwan Hospital has been overflowing with close to 200 patients -- a constant stream of horrific trauma cases. It is also full of hundreds of people seeking shelter," he said.

In his second post, Tedros highlighted that, in all, "around 600 patients, health workers and individuals are currently sheltering in the hospital".

"The siege and attacks on health workers occurred just hours after the WHO-led mission which delivered essential supplies to keep the facility operational and took critical patients to Al-Shifa Hospital," he said.

"We urge for hospitals, health workers and patients to be protected. Ceasefire!"

Short link: