Hamas health officials claim IDF targeting northern Gaza hospitals

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims Israeli troops forced the evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, sending many patients, some of them on foot, to another hospital miles away in Gaza City.

Israel says it has been fighting since early October against Hamas members attempting to regroup in three northern Gaza cities surrounding the hospital — Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia.

Munir Al-Bursh, director of the health ministry in the enclave, says the Israeli army had ordered hospital officials to evacuate it on Monday, before storming it in the early hours of Tuesday and forcing those inside to leave.

He claims two other medical facilities in northern Gaza, Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals, were also subject to frequent assaults by Israeli troops operating in the area.

“Occupation forces have taken the three hospitals out of medical service because of the repeated attacks that undermined them and destroyed parts of them,” Bursh says in a statement.

The Israeli military says it is looking into the report.

Israel says it has been facilitating the delivery of medical supplies, fuel and the transfer of patients to other hospitals when needed in collaboration with international agencies such as the World Health Organization.

Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, says he refused to allow the evacuation of hundreds of patients, their companions and staff in line with an IDF order. He claims constant Israeli fire has damaged generators, oxygen pumps and parts of the building.