Gaza's Last Major Hospital in the North Closed After Israeli Raid

A place where healthcare is already struggling, and then picture it suddenly losing its main hospital. That's what happened in northern Gaza recently. Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital, leaving it out of service and forcing the transfer of critically ill patients to other overwhelmed facilities. The hospital's director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was also arrested on suspicion of being a Hamas operative. This raid has put the lives of 75, 000 Palestinians at risk and further strained the region's healthcare system. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that patients from Kamal Adwan Hospital were moved to other hospitals, some of which were barely functioning. Mohammed Salha, director of Al Awda Hospital, shared that his hospital is severely damaged and running low on supplies. He mentioned that their situation is critical, with only one surgeon handling life-threatening cases. Israeli forces claimed that the hospital was used by Hamas as a command center, but no evidence was provided. Dr. Abu Safiya's arrest sparked outrage among Palestinians, the UN, and rights groups. Amnesty International noted that Israel has detained hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers without charge or trial since the war. Meanwhile, aid to northern Gaza has been minimal. The United Nations (UN) said that since October, only a fraction of the requested aid has reached the area. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed they had evacuated patients and delivered supplies before the raid, but the situation remains dire. The cold weather has worsened the crisis, with a newborn dying from the cold.