The Israeli military is systematically destroying hospitals in northern Gaza, depriving 40,000 Palestinians of health care, the Gaza Media Office said Friday.
In a statement, the office stated: "The Israeli occupation continues its heinous crimes and arbitrary aggression against hospitals and medical teams in northern Gaza, reflecting a dangerous and deliberate escalation."
These acts, it added, are being carried out amid "unjustified silence of the international community and the UN Security Council," violating international humanitarian law and human rights conventions.
The statement highlighted the complete destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital, where its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was arrested and reportedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The media office described these acts as "full-fledged war crimes."
The office also noted escalating threats to other hospitals, including the Indonesian and Al-Awda hospitals, which it says reflect a calculated effort to dismantle Gaza's health care infrastructure and deny Palestinians their right to medical care.
These measures, the statement said, are part of the so-called "Generals' Plan," aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from northern Gaza, which it labeled as ethnic cleansing.
The office held the Israeli government, its US backers, and complicit states fully responsible for the consequences of these aggressive policies.
The Gaza media office called on the international community, the UN, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Committee of the Red Cross to "take firm positions and concrete actions to condemn and halt these crimes, rebuild and repair hospitals, and ensure accountability of those responsible."
It also demanded an independent international investigation into these violations and accountability of Israel in international courts.
According to a recent report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Israeli military has conducted over 136 airstrikes targeting at least 27 hospitals and 12 medical facilities across Gaza in the past eight months.
On Dec. 27, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, setting it ablaze, forcing it out of service, and detaining over 350 people, including Dr. Abu Safiya.
Earlier on Friday, the Israeli military warned staff and patients to evacuate Al-Awda Hospital in the Tel Al-Zaatar area of Jabalia, threatening to bomb it.
For nearly three months, northern Gaza has faced intensified military operations, including bombardments, mass killings, and forced displacements. Palestinians say Israel aims to occupy the region and turn it into a buffer zone by displacing its residents under relentless attacks and blockade measures that prevent the entry of food, water, and medicine.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,650 victims, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
