Hamas: Israel lies about military presence in Kamal Adwan Hospital to justify raids

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has categorically denied any military presence in the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, saying the Israeli regime resorts to such "lies" to justify its attacks on the medical facility.

Hamas made the remarks on Sunday in response to the occupying regime’s allegations about the presence of resistance fighters and combat equipment in the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The movement categorically denied any military presence or fighters inside the hospital, whether from the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, or any other faction.

It said the hospital was open to all, including the international and UN groups that know the hospital very well.

“The enemy's lies about the hospital are to justify the heinous crime committed by the occupation army today of vacating it and burning most of its sections, in the application of the plan of genocide and forced displacement,” it emphasized.

Hamas reiterated that Israel’s lies and deception are not new as the regime has in the past promoted the same allegations against other hospitals, including al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, to destroy them. However, international investigative reports proved the occupation's false claims.

Pointing to a fully-fledged genocidal and displacement plan in northern Gaza, Hamas called on the United Nations to condemn the occupation army’s destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital and form an investigation committee to examine the extent of the crimes committed in the Strip.

“We also urge to provide medical services to our people after the occupation's destruction of all health facilities in the north,” the movement said.

The Israeli military on Friday stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, torching large sections and ordering hundreds of people to leave. The attacks continued on Saturday.

The Israeli occupation forces detained the hospital director and other medical personnel, subjecting them to humiliating treatment, including being ordered to strip at gunpoint.

At the time of the raid, at least 350 people were present in the hospital, including 180 medical workers and 75 critically injured patients, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office.

Gaza’s civil defense agency said on Sunday the Israeli forces also targeted Al-Wafaa Hospital in central Gaza City, killing at least seven Palestinian people.

The Al-Wafaa Hospital was said to be partially operational due to Israeli attacks.

Another baby ‘freezes to death’ in Gaza as Israeli raid on hospital kills 7

A Palestinian baby in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip has "frozen to death" as an Israeli airstrike targeting a hospital left at least seven people dead.

In a statement later in the day, Hamas condemned the Israeli raids on hospitals as war crimes. 

"The Zionist airstrike on Al-Wafaa Hospital and artillery shelling on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City are war crimes," the Palestinian resistance movement said.

"The international community must take action to send UN observers and impose protection for hospitals," it added. 

Hamas also condemned what it called the international silence regarding these unprecedented crimes that have been going on for 15 months, including genocide, the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure - particularly hospitals - and the deliberate targeting of doctors and medical personnel.

Israeli forces refuse to allow Kamal Adwan Hospital to reopen

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it opposes the resumption of operations in Kamal Adwan Hospital following the regime’s raid.

It said all activities will reportedly be transferred to the nearby Indonesian Hospital, which has effectively become the only major functioning hospital north of Gaza City.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday condemned the military crackdown against Kamal Adwan Hospital, saying, “The systematic dismantling of the health system in Gaza is a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians in need of health care.”

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