Israel’s army has detained the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, one of the region’s last remaining functional medical facilities.
The Israeli military claimed that Hamas militants were using the hospital and announced that over 240 individuals were detained in total.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Dr. Abu Safiya and many staff members were arrested on Friday and taken for questioning, following an Israeli military raid on the hospital.
The raid involved troops forcing staff and patients outside, ordering them to strip in cold weather, the ministry reported.
Israel’s military later confirmed the detention, labeling Dr. Abu Safiya a suspected Hamas operative but provided no evidence.
The military further claimed that during the raid, special forces discovered weapons near the hospital and engaged with militants who allegedly opened fire on them.
These militants were reportedly “eliminated.” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, also stated that most of those detained were Hamas operatives.
While the Israeli military denied setting fire to the hospital, they acknowledged evacuating individuals from the premises.
The military continues to allege that Hamas fighters operate within Kamal Adwan, an assertion that the hospital’s officials have denied.
The hospital has been targeted several times in recent months as part of Israel’s ongoing offensive against Hamas in northern Gaza. This week, a strike on the facility killed five medical workers.
MedGlobal, a humanitarian organization affiliated with Dr. Abu Safiya, expressed deep concern about his arrest, highlighting a disturbing pattern of targeting medical personnel and facilities.
The organization noted that this followed the detention of five other staff members in October.
The ongoing Israeli campaign in Gaza, now in its 15th month, has caused severe damage to the region’s health infrastructure.
The World Health Organization warned that Israel’s actions have effectively rendered Kamal Adwan hospital nonfunctional, leaving northern Gaza with little access to medical care. Patients displaced by the attack have been relocated to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which has also been hit in the past.
The conflict has claimed more than 45,400 Palestinian lives, over half of whom are women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
It is unclear whether the figures include both civilians and combatants.
As Israel continues its offensive, air strikes have caused further casualties. On Saturday, a bombing in Maghazi killed at least nine people, including women and children.
The Health Ministry reported 48 Palestinian deaths in just the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have begun operations in Beit Hanoun in the north, citing intelligence indicating Hamas activity in the area.
The broader regional situation remains tense, with Israeli airstrikes continuing in Yemen and Houthi rebels launching missiles into Israel.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, have warned that they will persist with their attacks until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza.
