Wounded Palestinians who Israeli soldiers expelled from a northern Gaza hospital over the weekend described harrowing conditions where they were forced to strip down to their underwear in cold winter weather for hours.
“They surrounded the hospital at 4 a.m. and burned all the buildings around the hospital,” said Wissam Warsh, a 45-year-old father of five who spent almost a week at Kamal Adwan Hospital receiving treatment. He said soldiers made the hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, bring all the patients outside before detaining him.
“They told him over the loudspeaker that he had 10 minutes to evacuate them, and they began firing shells around the hospital as a pressure tactic,” Warsh said. He and other patients were recuperating at Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, where he spoke to The Associated Press from a hospital bed on Sunday.
Israel’s military says its troops entered the hospital because Hamas militants were using it as a base, and said over 240 militants were detained, including Abu Safiya. Hospital officials have denied those claims.
Other patients said the Israeli army refused to provide them with food or water.
“The most difficult thing was that we were in the cold and winter and we could not find clothes, in addition to the moments of insults. All the moments were difficult,” said Ramadan al-Aswad, who was a patient at the hospital.
Staff at Kamal Adwan Hospital say it has been hit multiple times over the past three months as Israeli forces wage an offensive against Hamas fighters, who the army says have regrouped in northern Gaza. Israel has virtually sealed off the areas of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya from food or medical aid.
