Gaza healthcare workers reportedly detained by Israeli forces amid dire hospital conditions
Gaza healthcare workers abducted by Israeli forces, leaving hospitals in dire conditions Kamal Adwan Hospital, under constant fire, has seen multiple medical staff taken to unknown locations Global health leaders urgently call for relief in the Palestinian enclave's crumbling healthcare system
Dozens of medical staffers at a hospital in northern Gaza have been taken by the Israeli military to an undisclosed location, according to Dr. Hossam Abu-Safia, the head of pediatrics at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He described the situation as "very dangerous" as the enclaves wider healthcare system faces collapse, following heavy bombing and the arrival of Israeli troops in the area.
The soldiers instructed all males aged 16 to 65 to evacuate the building for a search. Abu-Safia reported that over 70 medical personnel were detained and transported to an undisclosed location, including Dr. Ahmed Al-Kahlot, the hospital director. This assertion was supported by a statement from the Health Ministry controlled by Hamas in Gaza.
Hospital beds inside the Al-Nasr hospital ICU ward in northern Gaza show the distressing sight of decomposing babies, as captured in a video by Al Mashhad reporter Mohamed Baalousha, reportedly on November 27. The graphic nature of the image has led to it being blurred.
Mohamed Baalousha/Al Mashhad
Infants found dead and decomposing in evacuated hospital ICU in Gaza. Heres what we know
Dr. Al-Kahlot had accused Israeli tank shells of hitting the hospitals maternity ward, resulting in the deaths of two women and severe injuries to two others. Less than 24 hours later, CNN was unable to contact him.
The Israel Defense Forces stated that they are continuing to target Hamas strongholds in northern Gaza, including the Beit Lahia area, when asked about the arrests.
It's worth noting that the Kamal Adwan hospital is situated in Gaza City, rather than Beit Lahia.
Horrendous conditions
The IDF emphasized that it is taking "all feasible precaution to mitigate harm to non-combatants, and is fighting against the Hamas terrorist organization, and not the civilians in Gaza or the medical teams operating there."
Israeli actions in and around Gaza's hospitals have faced strong criticism from medical personnel and NGOs. They caution that the health system in the area is already barely functional and cannot endure any more pressure.
Recently, the Israeli military conducted a raid on Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa, in pursuit of evidence of the alleged large-scale command and control center. During the raid, doctors hurried to evacuate patients, including dozens of newborns in need of incubators.
The IDF later invited reporters to view the tunnels discovered within the hospital compound, including small underground rooms. Although CNN was shown the tunnel shaft, they were not permitted inside the tunnels. Medical staff at Al-Rantisi children's hospital were instructed to evacuate as the IDF conducted operations inside. Israeli military officials later claimed that a room in the building's basement was a Hamas armory, containing a few weapons and a chair with a rope next to it. Gaza health officials denied this allegation.
Displaced Gazans seeking safety often turn to medical centers for shelter, in addition to receiving medical care. However, according to Marie-Aure Perreaut, the emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in the enclave, hospitals are not always safe havens. Despite being protected by international law, hospitals may be considered legitimate military targets if they are found to be housing combatants and weapons. The Israeli military has stated that they only target hospitals when they are being used by Hamas and other armed groups.
Dr. Abu-Safia, along with only five other doctors, was granted permission to remain at Kamal Adwan Hospital to care for patients in the intensive care unit and premature babies.
He mentioned, "We were instructed to gather in a single section or building, shut all doors and windows, and avoid being near any of them."
The hospitals' remaining staff can only offer minimal care to patients too weak to be moved, due to acute shortages of fuel, water, food, and medical supplies before the siege. As of today, the hospital has no water or power, and doctors are working with primitive flashlights to care for the patients left in the hospital. According to Richard Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization's representative, only 11 hospitals in the besieged enclave are partially functional.
"The health system has deteriorated rapidly, going from 36 fully operational hospitals to just 11 that are partially functional - with one in the north and 10 in the south," he stated.
On the same day, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern about the events at Kamal Adwan Hospital in #Gaza after a prolonged siege, in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
Multiple hospitals in northern Gaza have halted their operations in the past few weeks, claiming to have received evacuation orders from the Israeli military. The Israeli military, however, denies issuing any such orders. Additionally, fuel shortages and airstrike damage have led to the closure of several hospitals in Gaza, as reported by the WHO.
CNNs Abeer Salman, Catherine Nicholls and Isa Soares contributed to this report.
