The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has accused Israeli forces of using Palestinian detainees as human shields during hospital evacuations in northern Gaza.
According to the Monitor’s field teams, Israeli soldiers forced detainees to warn hospital staff. They told staff to make displaced persons and patient companions leave the hospital and go to areas under Israeli control. Some detainees faced arrest upon arrival, while others fled to a checkpoint in the Civil Administration area before being taken to Gaza City.
In a separate incident, the Palestinian Health Ministry released a video showing an Israeli airstrike on an ambulance near Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. The footage shows Israeli forces firing at the ambulance, which was providing vital services. The Ministry confirmed the attack and highlighted that airstrikes and fuel shortages have made it harder for ambulances to operate, according to the Gaza Civil Defence.
The Gaza Health Ministry urged the international community to intervene and stop Israel’s attacks on the health sector. They called on the International Committee of the Red Cross and other human rights organisations to take swift action. The Ministry condemned the destruction of hospitals and the deaths of those inside. They also reported that only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational due to shortages of fuel, supplies, and medications.
Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces withdrew from Kamal Adwan Hospital after a raid that lasted several hours. During the raid, Israeli soldiers arrested medical staff and patients. They also forced others to leave the hospital.
