IDF denies Hamas claims troops stormed, set fire to Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza

IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani denies Hamas claims that Israeli troops stormed and set fire to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

“While IDF troops were not in the hospital, a small fire broke out in an empty building inside the hospital that is under control,” he says, adding that a preliminary investigation has found “no connection” between military activity and the fire.

“Running with unsubstantiated reports on the cause of this fire shows nothing but questionable journalistic integrity,” he adds.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims Israeli troops entered the facility in Beit Lahiya and forced many staff and patients outside to strip in winter weather.

It also says Israeli troops also set fires in several parts of Kamal Adwan, including the lab and surgery department, and that 25 patients and 60 health workers remain in the hospital.

The account can not be independently confirmed, and attempts to reach hospital staff have been unsuccessful.

The IDF says it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and operatives in the area and had ordered people out of the hospital, but that it had not entered the complex as of this evening.

The military, which last operated against Hamas at the hospital in October, said earlier today that the facility had “once again become a key stronghold for terrorist organizations and continues to be used as a hideout for terrorist operatives.”

The IDF also said it had “facilitated the secure evacuation of civilians, patients, and medical personnel prior to the operation” to mitigate civilian harm.

Since October 6, Israel has intensified its land and air offensive in northern Gaza, stating its goal is to prevent Hamas terrorists from regrouping in the area.

Hamas has fought from within hospitals throughout the war and even periodically hid some of the Israeli hostages kidnapped in its October 7, 2023, massacre inside. International law prohibits targeting hospitals during wartime, but hospitals can lose this protection if used for military purposes.