GAZA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli army has detained Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.
The statement followed an earlier one from the health authorities, which claimed that the Israeli army had taken dozens of medical workers from Kamal Adwan Hospital in the city of Beit Lahia, including Abu Safia, to an interrogation center.
On Friday, Gaza's health authorities reported that Kamal Adwan Hospital was under a stifling siege, with its operating and surgery departments, laboratory, maintenance units, ambulance services, and warehouses all burned down.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that an operation against the hospital was launched based on intelligence suggesting the presence of "terrorist" infrastructure and operatives in the area.
"Kamal Adwan Hospital serves as a Hamas stronghold in northern Gaza, from which terrorists have been operating throughout the war," the IDF said, adding that despite a targeted operation in October, the hospital revived to serve as a hideout for "terrorists."
Prior to the raid, Kamal Adwan Hospital was housing around 350 people, including 75 patients and their companions. It 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.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.
The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has risen to 45,484, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday. ■
