Israeli forces leave a trail of destruction after a days-long siege of one of Gaza’s last hospitals

Israeli forces have withdrawn from one of the last functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza, leaving a trail of devastation after a day-long siege and overnight airstrikes that killed dozens in the city of Beit Lahia.

Troops stormed the hospital last week as the Israel Defense Forces continued their deadly offensive in the north, in what UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk described as one of the “darkest moments” of the conflict.

The Israeli army said it was targeting Hamas fighters who were “inside a building in the Beit Lahia area” and that some of them were killed. The army added that “several steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians” before the raid.

Footage filmed inside Kamal Adwan Hospital by an NBC News crew in Gaza showed equipment, blankets, medical supplies and ceiling panels strewn on the floor, and fallen furniture blocking doors and hallways.

For Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, a pediatrician who cared for hundreds as hospital director, the siege became painfully personal. After Israeli forces withdrew on Saturday, he walked to a nearby cemetery to bury his young son, Ibrahim, who was killed in recent raids.

An NBC News crew joined Abu Safiya as he stood alongside his relatives, the sick and the displaced to say a tearful final prayer for his son. They hugged him and consoled him.

“We are all your children,” said one of them, before they returned to work in a building destroyed by conflict.

In a statement on Sunday, the office of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation of the Palestinians in northern Gaza as “unbearable.” His spokesman said that Guterres reiterated his call for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

“The Secretary-General is shocked by the horrific levels of death, injury and destruction in the north, where civilians are trapped under rubble, the sick and wounded are deprived of life-saving health care, and families lack food and shelter, amid reports of families being separated and many people detained,” the statement said. .

The Gaza Ministry of Health said that Israeli forces detained hundreds of patients, medical staff and displaced Palestinians who took refuge in Kamal Adwan Hospital, and that only three doctors were working in the hospital on Saturday.

Doctors Without Borders said on Saturday that it was “deeply concerned” about the safety and whereabouts of one of its employees, Dr. Muhammad Obaid, an orthopedic surgeon who was sheltering and working at Kamal Adwan.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “catastrophic,” with very few staff remaining to care for “nearly 200 patients.”

He added: “Reports that health facilities and medical supplies were damaged or destroyed during the siege are unfortunate.”

Kamal Adwan is one of only three hospitals struggling to function in the area. The Israeli army did not comment on the arrest of health workers.

Outside, the attack continued. Local authorities reported that Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 people and demolished several homes including the Khazzan neighborhood in Beit Lahia.

Dr. Munir Abdullah Al-Bersh, Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said that the raids that took place on Sunday on residential buildings in Beit Lahia led to the burial of “large numbers of people,” accusing the Israeli army of opening fire on rescue crews as they approached the area. NBC News asked the Israeli army to comment on this accusation.

Al-Bursh said that residents were left searching for survivors with their bare hands. He added: “We asked them to transport any injured person to the nearest hospital by any available means, whether by vehicle, tuk-tuk, or any other available means.”

The Israeli army described the night bombings in Beit Lahia as a “precision strike using precision munitions,” targeting Hamas’ infrastructure and its militants. NBC was unable to independently verify the information, and the Israeli military did not provide details about these targets.

The local health ministry said last week that at least 87 people were killed in Israeli raids on residential buildings in Beit Lahia.

The latest attacks come after weeks of intense bombardment in northern Gaza, where the Israeli army has surrounded hospitals and refugee camps, forcing tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee and stoking fears of a targeted starvation campaign.

Joyce Msuya, The Acting UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs said, “All residents of northern Gaza are at risk of death.”

An estimated 43,000 people have been killed in Gaza and nearly 100,000 others have been injured since Israel launched its offensive after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, with about 1,200 people killed and 250 kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

Last week, Jordan, one of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, confronted Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a meeting in London.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Blinken that Israel is ethnically cleansing the Palestinians in Gaza. He told the American delegation in front of reporters: “It must stop.”

On Sunday, Israeli CIA and Mossad directors will meet with Qatar’s new prime minister in Doha to begin renewed negotiations to reach a short-term ceasefire agreement in Gaza that will see some hostages released in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke from Cairo on Sunday to propose a temporary ceasefire that would take place over two days, allowing the release of four hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Al-Sisi said that the agreement would allow for negotiations that would lead to a long-term ceasefire and allow aid to flow into Gaza.