Kamal Adwan Hospital is out of service after yesterday's raid and repeated attacks since October

The WHO is appalled by yesterday's attack on the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which put the last major health facility in North Gaza out of business. The systematic dismantling of the health system and the siege of northern Gaza, which has lasted for more than 80 days, puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians who remain in the area at risk.

Initial reports indicate that some parts of the hospital were burnt and severely damaged during the attack, including the laboratory, surgical unit, engineering and maintenance department, operating theater and medicine warehouse. Earlier in the day, twelve patients and female medical staff were reportedly forced to evacuate to a destroyed and dysfunctional Indonesian hospital where no care could be provided, while most staff, stable patients and attendants were relocated to a nearby location. In addition, some people were reportedly stripped and forced to walk towards southern Gaza. Over the past two months, the area around the hospital has remained highly unstable, with attacks on hospitals and health workers occurring almost daily. This week, bombings near it reportedly killed 50 people, including five health workers from Kamal Adwan Hospital.

Kamal Adwan is now empty. Yesterday evening, the remaining 15 critical patients, 50 caregivers and 20 health workers were transferred to an Indonesian hospital, which lacks the necessary equipment and supplies to provide adequate care. The movement and treatment of these critical patients in such conditions pose serious risks to their survival. WHO is deeply concerned for their well-being, as well as for hospital director Kamal Adwan who was reportedly detained during the raid. WHO has lost contact with him since the raid began.

An emergency WHO mission to the Indonesian hospital is planned for tomorrow to assess the situation at the facility, provide basic medical supplies, food and water, and safely transfer critical patients to Gaza City for continued care.

The raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital followed escalating restrictions on access and repeated attacks. Since the beginning of October 2024, WHO has confirmed at least 50 attacks on health in or near a hospital. Despite increasing needs for emergency and trauma services and supplies, only 10 of WHO's 21 missions to Kamal Adwan were partially enabled between early October and December. During these missions, 45,000 liters of fuel, medical supplies, blood and food were delivered, and 114 patients along with 123 companions were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital. But sending international emergency medical teams was repeatedly refused.

Efforts by WHO and partners to keep hospitals open have been undone. With the Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals completely out of commission and the Al-Awda hospital barely functioning and severely damaged by recent airstrikes, the health lifeline for those in Northern Gaza is reaching breaking point.

The WHO is calling for urgent measures to ensure that hospitals in North Gaza can be supported to become functional again.

Hospitals have once again become battlefields, reminiscent of the destruction of the health system in Gaza City earlier this year.

Since October 2023, the WHO has repeatedly issued urgent calls to protect health workers and hospitals in accordance with international humanitarian law — but those calls remain unheeded. Health facilities, workers and patients are always prohibited. They must be actively protected and must never be attacked or used for military purposes. The principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law are absolute and always apply.