Health officials report patients forced to flee to Gaza City as strikes continue across the region

On December 24, health officials in Gaza reported that Israeli forces forcibly evacuated the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, one of the few remaining operational medical facilities in the area. Many patients, some unable to walk, were forced to travel to another hospital in Gaza City, located several miles away.

The Indonesian Hospital is situated on Gaza’s northern edge, an area that has faced intense Israeli military action for nearly three months. Israel states that its operations around northern Gaza’s communities—Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia—are aimed at targeting Hamas militants. However, Palestinians accuse Israel of attempting to depopulate northern Gaza to create a buffer zone, a claim that Israel denies.

According to Munir Al-Bursh, director of the Health Ministry in Gaza, the Israeli army issued orders on December 23 for the evacuation of the hospital before storming the building in the early hours of December 24, compelling both patients and medical staff to leave. Al-Bursh also mentioned that other medical facilities in northern Gaza, such as Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals, have faced frequent attacks by Israeli forces.

An Israeli security official stated that Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in Jabalia, lies within a region of intense fighting and is considered a Hamas stronghold. Despite repeated evacuation orders, hospital staff have resisted leaving the patients behind. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan, reported that the facility has been under continuous Israeli bombardment, causing significant damage to generators, oxygen equipment, and parts of the building.

As Israeli bombardment continued across the Gaza Strip, medics reported at least nine Palestinian casualties on December 24, including a member of the civil emergency service, from four separate airstrikes.

The ongoing war, which began after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of more than 45,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Over two million residents of Gaza have been displaced, and much of the region is in ruins.

Efforts by mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States to broker peace have gained some traction in recent weeks, although a breakthrough remains elusive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on December 23 that progress had been made in hostage negotiations with Hamas but cautioned that the timeline for a resolution remained uncertain.