Today, Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health demanded the immediate release of the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, and all medical personnel detained in Israeli prisons. The ministry described the arrests as a “flagrant violation of human rights and the rights of health workers.”
In a statement, the Ministry condemned the arrest and abuse of Dr. Abu Safiya, noting that the attack on doctors and patients and their arrest while performing their humanitarian duty constitutes a violation of human and professional rights.
The Ministry appealed to international institutions, including the United Nations and human rights organizations, to intervene urgently to release Dr. Abu Safiya and all detained medical teams, and to ensure that they are provided with the necessary protection so that they can perform their humanitarian tasks in a safe environment.
The occupation forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital earlier and set it on fire, causing it to be out of service. Israeli forces also arrested more than 350 people inside the hospital, including medical staff, patients and wounded.
The Ministry considers these measures part of a series of violations targeting the health system in Gaza since the start of the Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023, which included bombing and besieging hospitals and preventing the entry of medical supplies, especially in the northern areas of the Strip.
According to statistics from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip resulted in the death and injury of more than 153,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children and women, in addition to 11,000 missing persons, amid comprehensive destruction that affected the Strip’s infrastructure and health facilities.
The sector is witnessing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, as residents suffer from famine and a severe shortage of medical and food supplies, which has led to the death of dozens of children and the elderly.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health called on the international community to take serious steps to stop the Israeli aggression and ensure the protection of civilians, especially health sector workers. It also stressed the need to hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for its repeated violations against medical personnel and the health system in Gaza, as these attacks represent war crimes and a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
