An Israeli drone attack on a hospital in northern Gaza wounded staff members on Friday, despite a so-called ceasefire being in place, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The attack targeted Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. Medical sources reported at least three people injured in the courtyard and three others nearby. The Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the wounded as three “civilians” in the courtyard and three “maintenance workers” in the vicinity.
The hospital is located in a designated “Green Zone” under Israeli control, yet the strike occurred, drawing condemnation from the ministry, which described it as part of Israel’s “systematic targeting of health facilities.” The ministry warned that such attacks jeopardize the ability of healthcare workers to provide essential medical services.
Gaza’s healthcare system has nearly collapsed due to Israel’s military campaign. Thousands of Palestinians require medical treatment abroad, but Israeli movement restrictions prevent the vast majority from leaving the Strip, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
At least a dozen people were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Friday, Wafa reported. Israeli forces opened fire near the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, and drones targeted homes in Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood.
The health ministry has called on the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to publicly condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
The attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital comes amid growing international pressure on Israel to release its director, Hussam Abu Safia. The Palestinian doctor has been arbitrarily detained by Israel for over 18 months without charge or trial. His lawyers say his life is at imminent risk.
Earlier this week, UN experts demanded Israel release Abu Safia and all other arbitrarily detained healthcare workers. Israel claimed on Friday that his detention is “lawful” and rejected reports of a life-threatening condition, alleging he is a member of Hamas.
Israel has repeatedly been found to have lied about evidence justifying the killing of Palestinian civilians. In April last year, Israeli officials revised their account of the killing of 15 Palestinian medics after video evidence contradicted their initial claims. The Israeli military later admitted to “professional failures” and “breaches of orders.”
Israel has killed at least 73,110 Palestinians since launching its assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023. At least 1,084 Palestinians have been killed since the “ceasefire” began last October.
Source: www.aljazeera.com