Last Major Health Facility in North Gaza ‘Out of Service’: WHO

AFP/APP

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that an Israeli military operation on Friday targeting Hamas militants near the Kamal Adwan Hospital has put the last major health facility in northern Gaza out of service.

“Today’s raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital has rendered this vital facility in north Gaza inoperative. Initial reports indicate severe damage, with key departments burnt and destroyed,” the WHO said in a statement on X.

The WHO added that 60 health workers and 25 critically ill patients, including those on ventilators, were reported to remain in the hospital. Patients in moderate to severe condition were forced to evacuate to the now-destroyed Indonesian Hospital, leaving them vulnerable.

This raid follows escalating restrictions on access to health services for WHO and its partners, with multiple attacks on or near the facility since October.

The WHO expressed grave concern, stating that “the systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza is a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of care.”

The WHO reiterated its call for a ceasefire, emphasizing that such hostilities are undermining all efforts to keep healthcare facilities minimally functional.

Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in Beit Lahia at the center of ongoing Israeli military operations, has been a crucial health facility in northern Gaza amid the conflict.