DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s service detained nan head of 1 of nan past functioning hospitals successful bluish Gaza arsenic overnight strikes successful nan enclave killed 9 group including children, Palestinian aesculapian officials said, while sirens rang retired crossed Israel.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, head of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested by Israeli forces. The announcement comes a time aft Israeli troops stormed nan hospital, forcing galore unit and patients extracurricular to portion successful wintertime weather, according to nan ministry.
Israel’s service didn’t respond to questions astir Dr. Abu Safiya. On Friday, it denied claims it had entered aliases group occurrence to nan analyzable and said it was conducting operations against Hamas infrastructure and militants successful nan area and had ordered group retired of nan hospital.
It repeated claims that Hamas militants run wrong Kamal Adwan Hospital but provided nary evidence. Hospital officials person denied that.
Kamal Adwan Hospital has been deed aggregate times complete nan past 3 months by Israeli troops waging an violative against Hamas fighters successful surrounding neighborhoods. The ministry said a onslaught connected nan infirmary earlier this week killed 5 aesculapian personnel.
Israel’s astir 15-month-old run of bombardment and offensives has devastated Gaza’s wellness sector. The warfare has killed much than 45,400 Palestinians, much than half women and children, and wounded much than 108,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count does not separate betwixt civilians and combatants.
Dr. Abu Safiya was detained Friday on pinch dozens of different unit from nan infirmary and taken to an interrogation center, nan ministry said.
On Friday, MedGlobal, nan humanitarian statement wherever Dr. Abu Safiya worked, said he was a lead expert for nan group and was gravely concerned astir him. The group said nan incident follows nan October detention of 5 different of its staff, calling it an “alarming and egregious shape of targeting aesculapian unit and spaces.”
Since October, Israel’s violative has virtually sealed disconnected nan bluish Gaza areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and leveled ample parts of them. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were forced retired but thousands are believed to stay successful nan area wherever Kamal Adwan and 2 different hospitals are located.
Israel has vowed to destruct Hamas aft nan militants’ Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught connected confederate Israel successful which they killed astir 1,200 group and abducted immoderate 250 others. Around 100 Israelis stay captive successful Gaza, astir a 3rd believed to beryllium dead.
On Saturday, Israel continued attacks crossed Gaza. An overnight onslaught killed astatine slightest 9 group successful Maghazi, including women and children, according to an Associated Press newsman who saw nan bodies and unit astatine Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital wherever they were taken.
Israel said its troops had besides begun operating successful nan bluish metropolis of Beit Hanoun, pursuing intelligence that fighters and Hamas infrastructure were successful nan area.
Strikes besides continued into Israel. Early Saturday morning, aerial ambush sirens erstwhile again awoke Israelis and nan subject said it intercepted a rocket fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Israeli warplanes bombed cardinal infrastructure successful Yemen again connected Thursday. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels person besides been attacking shipping successful nan Red Sea and opportunity they won’t extremity until Israel agrees to a ceasefire successful Gaza.
___
Mednick reported from Jerusalem.
___