JERUSALEM 

Israel's destruction of hospitals in northern Gaza is part of a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against Palestinians, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz said in a recent editorial.

The editorial criticized the Israeli army’s actions in northern Gaza, saying they are aimed at preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes and effectively depopulating the region. 

The newspaper said the destruction, particularly the demolition of hospitals, is also forcing residents to relocate to the south for essential medical care.

It emphasized that such a large region cannot be left without hospitals, especially during wartime, recalling that the Fourth Geneva Convention grants hospitals special protection during wars.

The piece also criticized the justifications provided by the Israeli military for its attacks, saying the presence of small arms or ammunition in a hospital, or even of armed individuals receiving treatment, does not warrant such an assault.

The editorial pointed out that the northern part of Gaza has been destroyed and that the military is now working to complete the demolition, emphasizing that this is an illegal act and should in no way include hospitals.

It also condemned the Israeli military’s attempt to show just cause for its actions by publishing photos of two pistols and a knife allegedly found in the hospitals.

It underscored that such evidence does not support the military’s claims and cannot justify the humiliation of forcing dozens of patients and doctors to evacuate the hospital dressed only in their undergarments.

-Kamal Adwan Hospital out of service

As the largest hospital in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan Hospital, named after a member of the Fatah Central Committee who was assassinated in 1973, served more than 400,000 people before the assaults.

On Friday, the Israeli military surrounded the medical facility, forcibly evacuating health care staff and the wounded. Parts of the hospital were set ablaze during the raid.

Israel has killed more than 45,500 people in Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 and reduced the enclave to rubble.


In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan