The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has left the last major health facility in North Gaza out of service. The raid is part of a broader pattern of attacks on healthcare facilities, further exacerbating the already dire situation for the 75,000 Palestinians still in the area.
Initial reports reveal severe damage to key areas of the hospital, including the laboratory, surgical unit, maintenance department, operations theatre, and medical storage. Earlier in the day, 12 patients and a female health worker had to evacuate to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which cannot provide necessary medical care. Most of the hospital staff, stable patients, and their companions relocated to a safer area. Reports also mention that authorities stripped people and forced them to walk towards southern Gaza. Over the past two months, the hospital’s surroundings have been highly volatile, with nearly daily attacks on healthcare workers and facilities. This week alone, bombardments near Kamal Adwan Hospital killed 50 people, including five health workers.
By yesterday evening, Kamal Adwan Hospital had emptied out. The remaining 15 critical patients, along with 50 caregivers and 20 health workers, transferred to Indonesian Hospital. However, this facility is lacking vital equipment and supplies to provide adequate care. The conditions under which these patients are being treated present significant risks to their survival. WHO has expressed deep concern for the wellbeing of the patients, as well as the hospital’s director, who has reportedly been detained during the raid. WHO has lost contact with him since the raid began.
The WHO has scheduled an emergency mission to Indonesian Hospital tomorrow to move patients to southern Gaza for continued care.
The attack on Kamal Adwan follows a series of escalating restrictions and repeated attacks on the hospital. Since October 2024, WHO has verified at least 50 attacks on health facilities in the area. Despite the urgent need for medical supplies and trauma services, only 10 of 21 WHO missions to the hospital have been partially successful. These missions delivered essential supplies, including 45,000 liters of fuel, medical supplies, blood, and food, and transferred 114 patients to Al-Shifa Hospital. However, authorities have repeatedly blocked the deployment of international emergency medical teams.
WHO and its partners’ efforts to sustain the hospital’s operations have failed, as Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals are now completely out of service, and Al-Awda Hospital has suffered severe damage from recent airstrikes. The healthcare system in North Gaza is on the brink of collapse.
WHO urgently calls for the restoration of hospital functionality in North Gaza. The increasing destruction of health infrastructure mirrors the earlier devastation of the Gaza City healthcare system.
Since October 2023, WHO has made repeated calls for the protection of health workers and facilities under international humanitarian law, yet these calls have gone unanswered. Hospitals, health workers, and patients must remain protected from attacks and military use, according to the principles of precaution, distinction, and proportionality in international law. These principles must remain upheld without exception.
