Kamal Adwan Hospital under siege amid escalating Israeli assault in Gaza
Israeli soldiers take part in a ground operation in a location given as Gaza Strip, in this handout picture released on January 19, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
Israeli forces have again imposed a siege on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, demanding the evacuation of all medical staff, patients, and others inside to facilitate a military incursion.
The hospital, one of the few remaining operational facilities in northern Gaza, is now at the center of an unfolding humanitarian crisis.
On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike on the hospital killed five staff members, including pediatrician Dr. Ahmad Samour, laboratory specialist Israa Abu Zayda, paramedics Abdul Majid Abu Al-Eish and Maher Al-Ajrami, and maintenance specialist Fares Al-Houdali.
Despite this tragedy, 91 patients remain inside the hospital, desperately in need of medical care and supplies.
The siege has intensified the hospital’s plight, with essential resources such as fuel, oxygen, and medicines running critically low.
Repeated bombardments, including drone strikes targeting the hospital’s grounds and roof, have further compounded the dire situation. Calls for immediate international intervention to deliver aid and ensure the safety of patients and staff remain unanswered.
Since October 5, Israeli forces have conducted a large-scale invasion of the northern Gaza Strip, accompanied by relentless airstrikes and a blockade preventing the entry of food, water, and medical supplies.
Eyewitnesses describe the ongoing actions as acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing, with Beit Lahiya bearing the brunt of the devastation.
Kamal Adwan Hospital has become one of the last sanctuaries for Gaza’s sick and wounded, symbolizing both the resilience and the immense suffering of Palestinians in the besieged region.
