“By some miracle, we managed to evacuate the patients from there as fire broke out” inside the ICU.
Israeli occupation forces have opened fire on the Kamal Adwan Hospital causing a blaze to erupt in the intensive care unit (ICU), according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director.
“We were shocked by the sudden and frantic gunfire directed” at the hospital “with all types of weapons,” he said in a video message on Wednesday. “The intensive care unit was targeted, and it was being clearly fired upon.”
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, describes the catastrophic conditions faced by the medical staff and the wounded at the facility due to the relentless and deliberate attacks by the Israeli occupation, targeting it and the surrounding homes.
Abu… pic.twitter.com/jxNl1Jo4jo
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 18, 2024
Dr. Abu Safiya stated that “by some miracle, we managed to evacuate the patients from there as fire broke out inside” the ICU.
He reiterated that the unit was the only remaining ICU in the northern Gaza Strip which has been under siege for more than 70 days.
“We managed to control the fire, but it was a miracle that we evacuated the patients on ventilators and oxygen support,” the director continued, adding that the situation was “extremely catastrophic and remains very dangerous.”
Severe Water Shortage
He explained that they managed to extinguish the fire manually, using some blankets and a small amount of water originally designated for medical use.
“We have already been suffering from a severe water shortage for more than 8 days due to the targeting of water tanks and the water network and oxygen network,” Dr. Abu Safiya emphasized.
Israeli Snipers Target ICU of Kamal Adwan Hospital – Director Pleas for Help
The situation was “dire and the intensive care unit is out of service,” he stated.
The doctor also earlier said that the Israeli army had targeted the ICU “for the first time” with snipers “and all the hospital windows were hit.”
“The occupation army has deliberately rigged booby traps in the streets around the hospital and targeted the intensive care unit using snipers stationed on the roofs of nearby buildings as well as quadcopter drones,” Dr. Abu Safiya explained.
“The water tanks on the hospital roofs have also been targeted. There is a lot of damage,” he added.
Dozens Wounded
With the Israeli army targeting civilians in their homes and gatherings, he pointed out that “dozens of wounded people” are arriving at the hospital every day, reported the Middle East Monitor (MEMO).
The intensive care unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital caught fire after an Israeli attack, leaving the only ICU in north Gaza out of service. pic.twitter.com/jk3ueEFl1I
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 18, 2024
“There are 64 wounded and six cases in intensive care, and every Israeli attack forces us to pull patients into the corridors, threatening their lives,” he said.
Water, Electricity Affected
The hospital requires urgent maintenance, he noted earlier, such as the repairing of generators, electricity, water, and oxygen supplies adding that “unfortunately, we cannot go out to repair the damage” due to the attacks.
Staff and patients are enduring “difficult hours without electricity, oxygen or water,” Dr Abu Safiya noted.
Israeli occupation forces have once again opened fire at the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, causing significant damage to the facility. pic.twitter.com/KtKsenFYfy
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 17, 2024
“The situation in the hospital is getting worse, and it will turn into a graveyard for everyone inside the hospital,” he warned.
The doctor reiterated his appeal for “international protection,” calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) and the world community to “intervene urgently”.
Ongoing Genocide
The Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continues with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Khaled Nabhan, known for his poignant phrase ‘Soul of my Soul’, was killed on Monday in an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Learn more .. pic.twitter.com/S5tAEspV1i
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 16, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,059 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,041 wounded in the ongoing genocide.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Millions Displaced
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
Thousands of displaced Palestinians line up at charities everyday in the hope to bring back some food for their families in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/WY6foNj8aQ
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) December 18, 2024
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(PC, MEMO)
