Jerusalem: Israeli forces exited a hospital complex in northern Gaza on Saturday, a day after storming the facility, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry reported that Israeli troops detained numerous male medical staff and some patients.
On the same day, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least 30 individuals were killed following Israeli strikes on multiple homes in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza. However, the health ministry has yet to confirm this death toll.
The Israeli military released a statement indicating that it conducted “a precise strike using precision munitions” targeting Hamas operatives within a building in Beit Lahiya. It further added that the high number of reported casualties appeared inconsistent with the weaponry deployed in the strike.
According to health officials, Israeli forces entered Kamal Adwan Hospital on Friday, one of the few remaining operational hospitals in the area. Following the army’s withdrawal, footage from the health ministry—yet to be independently verified—showed damage to various buildings in the hospital complex.
Medical sources reported that the Israeli army detained 44 of the hospital’s 70 staff members, later releasing 14, including the facility’s director. When asked to comment on these reports, an Israeli military spokesperson declined. The Israeli military previously stated that the operation was based on intelligence suggesting “the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure” within the hospital.
Medics further reported that two children in intensive care had died after Friday’s gunfire struck the hospital’s power generators and oxygen supply. Medical staff have resisted calls from the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital, citing the severe risk to patients who rely on ongoing care. Prior to the army’s raid, the facility housed over 600 individuals, including patients and their families.
“The safety and lives of patients remaining in Kamal Adwan Hospital without necessary medical personnel or supplies are in serious jeopardy,” stated Marwan Al-Hams, a health ministry representative.
The health ministry reported that Israeli military actions in northern Gaza towns, including Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahiya, have resulted in nearly 800 deaths over the past three weeks. Israel has asserted that its forces have returned to northern Gaza to dismantle Hamas fighters regrouping there. On Friday, the Israeli military also confirmed that three of its soldiers were killed in clashes in Gaza’s north.
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‘Extremely Dire’ Conditions
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described conditions in northern Gaza as “extremely dire”. calling for safe passage for those wishing to evacuate. “Ongoing evacuation orders, combined with restrictions on essential supplies, leave the remaining civilian population in northern Gaza facing horrific conditions,” read a Saturday statement from the ICRC. The organization highlighted that ongoing hospital evacuations are depriving civilians of critical medical services.
Senior Hamas official Basem Naim accused Israel of violating international humanitarian laws, citing the incursion into Kamal Adwan Hospital. He claimed such actions would not occur “without the protection of Western countries.” Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and religious sites, for military operations, a claim that Hamas has denied.
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The Israeli military announced Saturday an expansion of the humanitarian safe zone in Al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza, where it had previously advised civilians to relocate.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces reportedly killed a Hamas member during a raid in Tulkarm, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli security officials claimed the individual was planning an imminent attack. Hamas confirmed the death of Islam Jamil Awda, who, it said, “died while clashing with occupation forces” that had surrounded his residence in Tulkarm camp for hours.
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Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the onset of the Gaza conflict. Hundreds of Palestinians—including fighters, youths throwing stones, and civilian bystanders—have died in confrontations with Israeli forces. Over the past year, dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led fighters launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel’s subsequent retaliatory campaign has led to a reported death toll in Gaza nearing 43,000, with vast destruction across the densely populated enclave.
