Gaza Officials Say Israeli Forces 'Set Fire' to Hospital in Beit Lahia

Local officials report that Israeli forces attacked Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical centers located in northern Gaza, setting large parts of the hospital ablaze and ordering dozens of patients and hundreds of others to leave the premises. The Gaza Ministry of Health, operating under the extremist group Hamas, announced on Friday, December 28, that contact with staff inside Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, which has been under severe pressure from Israeli forces for weeks, has been lost. Muneer al-Bursh, the director-general of this ministry, stated that Israeli forces are now inside the hospital and have 'set it on fire.' Youssef Abulresh, the Hamas-appointed deputy health minister, also reported that Israeli forces have set fire to the surgical department, laboratory, and storage of the hospital. Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union. Human Rights Watch accused Israel of 'genocide' due to the water situation in Gaza. The Israeli army stated that Hamas, which previously controlled the Gaza Strip, used this hospital as a base during the war, but hospital officials deny this claim. The Israeli army, without providing details, said it has attempted to minimize harm to civilians and facilitated the 'safe evacuation of civilians, patients, and medical staff before operations.' However, the Palestinian Ministry of Health claims that Israeli forces forced medical staff and patients to gather in the hospital courtyard and remove their clothing in the winter cold. Israeli forces typically conduct widespread arrests during their operations, forcing men to remove their clothing for questioning. The Israeli army justifies this action as a security measure to locate Hamas militants. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that some staff and patients were taken out of the hospital, some to an unknown location and others to a nearby Indonesian hospital, which had also been closed earlier this week due to Israeli attacks. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, out of 75 patients and about 180 hospital staff, only 25 patients and 60 staff remain. The Associated Press stated that since the reports from this ministry cannot be independently verified, it has attempted to contact staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital, but these attempts have been unsuccessful. One hospital staff member, in a voice message shared on social media, said, 'Fire is raging throughout the hospital.' According to this person, oxygen machines from some patients who have left the hospital have been disconnected, warning that 'there are currently patients who may lose their lives at any moment.' Kamal Adwan Hospital is one of the last hospitals operating in the northernmost part of Gaza. Hospital staff have stated that this hospital has been attacked multiple times by Israeli forces over the past three months. The Hamas Ministry of Health reported that five medical staff were killed in the attack on this hospital a day prior. Images released by Palestinian and Arab media, which Reuters says cannot be verified, show smoke rising from the Kamal Adwan Hospital area. Hamas and Israel have accused each other of delaying the finalization of a ceasefire agreement. Currently, large areas around the northern cities of Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia are deserted and systematically destroyed, raising speculation about Israel's intention to keep this area as a closed buffer zone after the conflict in Gaza ends. However, Israel denies this, stating that its operations are aimed at preventing the re-establishment of Hamas militants. Hamas and Israel have accused each other of delaying the finalization of a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages in Gaza.