GAZA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army reportedly set fire to parts of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, after storming the facility, according to Palestinian medical officials.
Munir al-Borsh, Director General of Gaza's health authorities, stated that Israeli forces forced all medical staff, patients, and their companions to evacuate to the hospital's outer courtyard before torching large sections of the key medical facility in northern Gaza.
Eyewitnesses and sources reported seeing smoke rising from the main sections of the hospital as the Israeli soldiers set fire to the structure. The army also conducted searches of the wounded and patients in the courtyard and transferred hospital staff to a nearby school.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the incident.
Prior to the raid, the hospital was housing around 350 people, including 75 wounded patients and their companions. Kamal Adwan is the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, serving over 400,000 people before the ongoing conflict. The Israeli army has blockaded the hospital for more than two months as part of its military operations in northern Gaza.
In a related development, Gaza-based health authorities reported that an Israeli airstrike on a building near the hospital killed around 50 people, including five medical staff, on Thursday. The authorities called on the international community to urgently intervene to protect civilians and health workers in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for an attack in the northern Gaza Strip, stating that one of its members detonated an explosive belt, killing and injuring several Israeli soldiers. The brigades further reported that as Israeli rescue forces approached the scene, their fighters sniped two Israeli soldiers and attacked others in the Tel al-Zaatar area, east of the Jabalia camp. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the claim.
The Hamas statement came after the Israeli army announced on Thursday night that a company commander in a special operations unit was killed during a clash with militants in the Jabalia area, while several other soldiers were wounded in separate incidents south of Gaza City. The Hebrew Public Radio Kan reported that the commander died while carrying out a military mission in Jabalia.
Israel's large-scale military offensive against Hamas in Gaza began in retaliation for the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on southern Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 were taken hostage.
As of Friday, Palestinian health authorities reported that the death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza had risen to 45,436. ■
