ANKARA 

The Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia came under direct attack by Israeli forces on Sunday, as heavy bombardment continues across northern Gaza, an official said.

Hossam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, confirmed in a statement that Israeli strikes have damaged the hospital's water tanks and electricity grid, severely disrupting medical services.

The area surrounding the hospital has been subjected to intense bombing and gunfire for several hours, placing patients and medical staff in grave danger, he added.

This assault on the hospital is part of a broader campaign of relentless air and artillery strikes that have pummeled northern Gaza for 16 days.

The Jabalia refugee camp and surrounding areas have also been hit particularly hard, with witnesses reporting plumes of thick smoke rising from the devastated neighborhoods.

The ongoing assault has severely impacted civilian infrastructure, with witnesses detailing that areas around Al-Awda and Al-Yemen Al-Saeed hospitals have been hit with intensified and sustained strikes.

Meanwhile, medical sources said Israeli forces have trapped tens of thousands of Palestinians in their homes in northern Gaza, blocking access to food and water for over two weeks, creating a dire humanitarian situation.

Israel has killed more than 42,500 people in Gaza since a cross-border incursion by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, turned much of the enclave into rubble and displaced most of its population.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi