Gaza hospital pleads for help "before it is too late" amid horrific Israeli attacks
Beit Lahia, Gaza - An official from one of only two functioning hospitals in northern Gaza said Monday that Israeli forces were continuing to target his facility and urged the international community to intervene before "it is too late."
Hossam Abu Safiyeh, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the city of Beit Lahia, described the situation at the medical facility as "extremely dangerous and terrifying" owing to shelling by Israeli forces.
An Israeli military spokesperson denied that the hospital was being targeted, but Safiyeh told AFP that the hospital, which is currently treating 91 patients, had been attacked on Monday by Israeli drones.
"This morning, drones dropped bombs in the hospital's courtyards and on its roof," said Safiyeh in a statement.
"The shelling, which also destroyed nearby houses and buildings, did not stop throughout the night."
The shelling and bombardment have caused extensive damage to the hospital, Safiyeh added.
"Bullets hit the intensive care unit, the maternity ward, and the specialized surgery department causing fear among patients," he said, adding that a generator was also targeted.
"The world must understand that our hospital is being targeted with the intent to kill and forcibly displace the people inside.
"We face a constant threat every day. The shelling continues from all directions... The situation is extremely critical and requires urgent international intervention before it is too late," he said.
On Sunday, Safiyeh said he received orders to evacuate the hospital, which Israel later denied.
Northern Gaza under apocalyptic siege
Located in Beit Lahia, the hospital is one of only two still operational in northern Gaza, which has been placed under a brutal siege by Israel for months.
Most of the dead and injured from Israel's onslaught are brought to Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda hospitals, while humanitarian aid has been almost completely cut off.
The UN and many other organizations have repeatedly decried the systematic attacks on Gaza's health care system, in complete disregard of international humanitarian law.
Israel has been accused of a litany of war crimes and crimes against humanity, up to and including committing genocide against Palestinians, over 45,000 of whom have been killed in Gaza.
Cover photo: REUTERS