Gaza, 30 December 2024 — Following repeated attacks on and near the hospital since the start of the Israeli military ground invasion in North Gaza Governorate in October 2024, Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza, is officially out of service. On 27 December 2024, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, set it on fire, detained most of its medical staff, and ordered those who had remained to leave. During the same week, as part of a broader campaign to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system, three other hospitals were attacked: Al-Wafa and Al-Ahli Arab Hospitals in Gaza, and Al-Awda Hospital in the north.

According to field information collected by Al Mezan, at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, 26 December 2024, Israeli forces bombed the vicinity of Kamal Adwan Hospital, targeting a residential building across from the hospital. Two paramedics rushed to assist the injured, but they were directly targeted by the Israeli military. Those who attempted to help the paramedics were also targeted, leading to the deaths of five medical staff members.

Later that day, Israeli military detonated explosive-laden robots near the hospital's vicinity, injuring several hospital workers.

"In the early hours of Friday, 27 December 2024, Israeli military vehicles arrived at the hospital gates and, using loudspeakers, ordered all those inside—including patients, companions, and medical staff—to gather in the hospital courtyard. Bulldozers then entered the facility, demolishing parts of the hospital before soldiers stormed in and burnt various hospital departments", said nurse Dalal Abu Amsha, who was present at Kamal Adwan Hospital at the time.

She further explained, "Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, the hospital director, was summoned and subsequently arrested. Dozens of medical staff and injured individuals were also detained after being forced to remove their clothing and have their hands tied behind their backs, all while being subjected to threats and insults".

"The military brought three hospital vehicles, loading approximately 20 patients in each along with a few nurses. I, along with several nurses, patients, and elderly individuals, was forced onto a large, uncovered truck and transported to the Indonesian Hospital. There, we found seven injured individuals with no medical staff to care for them. They were extremely frail and exhausted, deprived of medication, water, electricity, or any form of treatment," she recounted.

Following the events at Kamal Adwan Hospital, on the morning of Saturday, 28 December 2024, Israeli forces targeted the upper floors of Al-Awda Specialized Hospital in Tal Al-Zaatar, located in the northern Gaza, with several artillery shells. The attack caused significant material damage to the hospital, leading to the evacuation of most injured individuals and medical staff to Gaza City via Salah Al-Din Street in the eastern part of the governorate. However, some were unable to evacuate due to the heavy shelling and direct gunfire.

The following day, at around 6:00 a.m., on Sunday, 29 December 2024, Israeli forces targeted the top floor of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City with an artillery shell. The attack caused extensive damage to the hospital's radiology department and its medical equipment.

Later that morning, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Israeli warplanes struck the upper floors of Al-Wafaa Hospital, located east of Gaza City, with a single missile. The hospital primarily serves critical cases and the elderly. The strike killed seven Palestinians, injured 20 others, and completely destroyed the physical therapy unit. According to the hospital's maintenance and emergency director, several medical students were among the injured.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the ongoing Israeli genocidal practices in Gaza, particularly the systematic and deliberate targeting of healthcare facilities. These attacks form part of a broader strategy aimed at dismantling Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, leaving thousands of civilians—many critically injured—without access to medical care. The situation is exacerbated by the severely limited flow of humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza, especially to the northern governorate.

Al Mezan calls for the immediate release of Kamal Adwan Hospital's staff and director, Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, and holds Israeli forces accountable for their safety. The international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide must take urgent and effective measures to halt the ongoing genocide. These measures should include the imposition of a two-way arms embargo on Israel, supporting the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants against Israeli officials, and ensuring full compliance with the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) provisional measures.