Gaza health ministry says Indonesian Hospital out of service

The ministry noted that the North Gaza governorate has three public hospitals, Kamal Adwan, Beit Hanoon and the Indonesian Hospital, all of which have been taken out of service by Israel’s offensive.

On Friday, Israeli soldiers surrounded the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya, where many displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.

Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya was cleared of patients and staff and it was severely burned by the Israeli army last week. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital, was also arrested by Israeli forces during their raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya last week.

On Saturday, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X that the agency had received “no updates on the safety and wellbeing” of the 51-year old Abu Safia.

A separate evacuation order has also been issued to the al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia.

Healthcare in the Gaza Strip has been pushed to the brink of collapse amid repeated attacks by Israeli forces, including last week’s destruction of the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Both the Indonesian and al-Awda Hospitals have been damaged due to repeated Israeli attacks since October 2023.

Images from the Indonesian Hospital show children among the severely injured patients.

Israel has defended its raids on medical facilities by saying they are being used by Palestinian armed groups, but the UN has frequently questioned the veracity of the claims.

Israel’s targeting of medical facilities in Gaza prompted the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Friday, during which UN officials pleaded for the protection of the hospitals.

At the meeting, UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Israel has failed to substantiate many of its claims that the facilities were being used by fighters in Gaza, describing the allegations as “often vague and broad” and in some cases “appear to be contradicted by publicly available information”.

Turk called for an independent investigation into all Israeli attacks on medical facilities and healthcare workers in Gaza, as well as the alleged misuse of such facilities.

Rik Peeperkorn of the WHO urged Israel to immediately rescind its evacuation orders on the Indonesian and al-Awda Hospitals.

“They are struggling to stay open. Food, water and fuel are depleting fast,” he said at the UNSC meeting, adding that the hospitals have been without many essential medicines over the last 85 days amid Israel’s renewed assault on northern Gaza.

Peeperkorn stated the WHO was deeply concerned about the fate of the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, who was detained by Israel last week.

“We have lost contact with him since and call for his immediate release.”

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 45,650 Palestinians and wounded 108,5600 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and about 250 others were taken captive.