Israeli forces have arrested the director of the last major hospital operating in northern Gaza and accused him and his staff of being Hamas terrorists.
Dr. Hassam Abu Safiyah has repeatedly criticized the actions of the Israel Defense Forces, including in an opinion piece he wrote for the New York Times.
He was among more than 240 people arrested at Kamal Adwan Hospital by Israeli forces on Saturday on suspicion of being “Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists,” according to the IDF.
“We don’t know Dr. Hassam’s fate. In fact, he was threatened by the military as soon as he arrived at the hospital,” nurse Rawiya al-Batosh told CNN.
The Israel Defense Forces said it raided the hospital because it was suspected to have been used as a haven for terrorists seeking refuge from shelling of Israeli military bases in northern Gaza.
The Israeli military calls the medical facility “Hamas’ last stronghold in Jabalia,” and it was last vacated by the military in late October after Safiyah’s predecessor was arrested and admitted to being a Hamas commander.
According to Israel, ahead of the attack, the Israel Defense Forces facilitated the evacuation of 350 patients, caregivers and staff inside the hospital. Soldiers then entered the hospital and forcibly removed everyone who remained.
Few weapons were found inside the hospital, but the Israel Defense Forces said rockets were fired from the building and 19 terrorists were killed in the skirmish.
However, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health announced that around 50 people, including medical workers, were killed in the fighting. The Ministry of Health does not distinguish between civilians and terrorists in its tally.
Safiyah said in a social media post that Israeli forces surrounded the hospital and were testing nearly 950 people as they emptied the building.
The IDF claims that at least 15 of the 240 people arrested were terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre that left more than 1,200 people dead in Israel.
Several staff members who were evacuated from the hospital told CNN that IDF soldiers forced everyone to strip for tests and beat those who refused.
“The detention, arrest, and search of bodies of suspects involved in terrorism were carried out in accordance with international law,” the IDF said in a statement.
Safiyah remains missing after her arrest on Saturday, sparking an outcry from humanitarian groups who condemned the attack, which effectively shut down the last major hospital in war-torn northern Gaza. , the Israel Defense Forces continues its struggle to eradicate Hamas.
“Dr. Abu Safiyah has dedicated his life to protecting the health and lives of children in Gaza, providing care in conditions that no medical professional should have to endure.” MedGlobal, a humanitarian NGO providing medical care, said in a statement.
“His arrest is not only unjust but a violation of international humanitarian law, which protects health workers in conflict zones.”
Safiyah’s last guest essay for the Times was published earlier this month and centered around her plea for help as one of the last doctors working at Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Hamas called on the United Nations to investigate the arrests and closure of Kamal Adwan Hospital.
“We demand that international observers be sent to these facilities to ascertain what is happening and to refute the lies and claims of the occupying forces about their use for military purposes,” the terrorist organization said in a statement. .
Patients evacuated from Kamal Adwan were transferred to other hospitals, which Gazan health officials said were not equipped to meet their needs.
Many have criticized the operation against the hospital as a means of evacuation from northern Gaza, a charge the IDF has repeatedly denied.
