Next To Impossible: Medics Battle To Evacuate Gaza Hospital Amid Escalating Violence

Israel has ordered the evacuation and closure of one of the few remaining hospitals still partially functioning in the northern Gaza Strip, a move that has been met with urgent appeals from medical staff. The Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, located on the northern edge of Gaza, has been a critical lifeline for civilians in a region under intense Israeli military pressure for nearly three months.

Even so, health staff at the grass roots are sounding the alarm that it is “almost impossible” to implement the evacuation order.

Medics Battle To Evacuate Patients

Through text message, Husam Abu Safiya, the head of Kamal Adwan hospital, voiced his concerns with Reuters:. “We now have almost 400 civilians in the hospital-including newborns in the neonatal unit-whose life depends on oxygen and incubators. We cannot move these patients out without any help, equipment, or time for evacuation,” he said Abu Safiya while stressing that the bombardment made things even more complex.

The location of the hospital, in one of the most contested areas of Gaza, puts patients at grave risk. Abu Safiya added that fuel tanks at the facility were directly targeted, warning that any damage to them could lead to a catastrophic explosion, risking even more lives.

“We are sending this message under heavy bombardment and direct targeting of the fuel tanks, which if hit will cause a large explosion and mass casualties of the civilians inside,” he stated, underlining dangers to patients as well as medical staff.

Ongoing Military Actions

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment regarding Abu Safiya’s concerns but maintained that it had provided fuel and food supplies to the hospital on Friday. In addition, Israel claimed it had assisted in the evacuation of over 100 patients and caregivers to other hospitals in Gaza, some of which were coordinated with the Red Cross for safety.

The hospital was shut down yesterday as part of a wide-ranging military operation against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, which has seen its troops intensify over the last three months. Palestinians accused Israel of trying to leave the area demographically vacant and to establish a buffer zone. Israel dismissed those claims, saying its aim was to neutralize Hamas and other militant groups.

Northern Gaza has now become a dire situation, where the military operations have damaged most civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. The military actions have largely destroyed much of the region, and most of the population of Gaza has been displaced. Although Israel had insisted that its operations target militants, humanitarian organizations are raising alarms over the mounting toll on civilian lives.

In addition to the hospital evacuation, a recent Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City resulted in at least 24 Palestinian casualties, including children. The Israeli military claimed that the strike targeted Hamas militants operating inside the school, but Hamas denied the allegations, asserting that its fighters do not operate among civilians.

The current deterioration is part of a general conflict that started in October of 2023 when the Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel’s communities, killing more than 1,200 people and taking over than 250 hostages. Then, Israel started a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 45,200 Palestinians have reportedly been killed according to Gazan authorities. The conflict has ravaged much of the coastal enclave, displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million residents.

ALSO READ | Christmas Storm Alert: Rain, Wind, And Flood Risks For Washington’s Holiday Week