WHO demands Israel release Gaza hospital director

The WHO chief called on Monday for the immediate release of Hossam Abu Safiyeh, director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is being held by Israel's military following a major raid on the facility.

The Friday-Saturday assault on Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia left northern Gaza's last major health facility out of service and emptied of patients, the World Health Organisation said.

"Hospitals in Gaza have once again become battlegrounds and the health system is under severe threat," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

"Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is out of service following the raid, forced patient and staff evacuation and the detention of its director. His whereabouts are unknown. We call for his immediate release."

Israel's military said on Sunday that its forces had killed approximately 20 Palestinian militants and apprehended "240 terrorists" in the raid, calling it one of its "largest operations" conducted in the territory.

The military also said had detained Abu Safiyeh, suspecting him of being a Hamas militant. When asked if he had been transferred to Israeli territory for further questioning, the military did not offer an immediate comment.

Tedros said the patients in critical condition at Kamal Adwan had been moved to the Indonesian Hospital, "which is itself out of function".

"Amid ongoing chaos in northern Gaza, WHO and partners today delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food and water to Indonesian Hospital and transferred 10 critical patients to Al Shifa Hospital," he said.