The family of a Palestinian doctor arrested during an Israeli raid on a hospital in northern Gaza fear for his safety after he was detained over the weekend.
Israel has claimed 15 Palestinians it arrested in and around the crippled Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza over the weekend were involved in Hamas's deadly October 7 terrorist attacks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed the hospital, which was already struggling to remain open, is no longer operational as a result of the latest raid and the detention of key medical staff.
Among those arrested was the hospital's director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.
The Israeli military said Hamas militants were operating from Kamal Adwan and those arrested were suspected militants.
It said Dr Hussam had been taken for questioning as he was suspected of being a Hamas operative.
"Our father is currently suffering from extreme cold," Dr Hussam's family said in a statement.
"Many of you have heard from released eyewitnesses about the conditions he has faced, including being forced to remove his clothing and medical coat, which were used to make him a human shield.
"We appeal to every compassionate individual and all international organizations and institutions to take action."
Dr Hussam had made repeated public pleas for support, in videos posted to social media.
"His dedication continued after the military operation in North Gaza, which followed a siege lasting 84 days," his family said.
"During this time, he faced the harshest trials, including hunger, oppression, bombardment, and threats, all for the sake of the patients.
"Tragically, he lost his beloved son, Ibrahim, who was also severely injured. It is important to note that Dr Hussam is still affected by his injuries to this day."
The dire situation facing the Kamal Adwan Hospital is emblematic of serious fears about Gaza's health infrastructure, with many hospitals and medical facilities knocked out of action during the now 14-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly claimed Kamal Adwan was a stronghold for Hamas militants, in its justification for continued attacks on the facility and its surrounds.
In a statement, the IDF said it killed 20 terrorists during its raid on the area, and arrested 240 terrorists from Hamas and Islamic Jihad — taking them to Israel for further interrogation.
"Among the terrorists, 15 were identified as having infiltrated Israeli territory and participated in the October 7th Massacre," it said.
More than 1,000 Israelis died when Hamas launched its attacks, according to Israeli tallies.
Israeli media reporting Kamal Adwan will not be allowed to reopen
Earlier, the IDF released vision it insisted showed a number of weapons found inside Kamal Adwan.
The ABC has not been able to independently verify the IDF's claims.
Israel does not allow media into Gaza, except in limited and tightly controlled circumstances when embedded with military personnel.
The IDF labelled its raid on Kamal Adwan as "one of the largest operations to apprehend terrorists conducted in a single location since the beginning of the war".
"Several terrorists attempted to pose as patients, with some even hiding in ambulances," it claimed.
"However, they were identified by IDF soldiers and apprehended."
The Kamal Adwan has been at the centre of Israel's intense bombardment of northern Gaza, which intensified in October.
As Israeli soldiers stormed the facility over the weekend, hospital staff said they set fire to operating theatres — something the IDF denied.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting the IDF will not allow Kamal Adwan to reopen, wanting to direct patients to other facilities in northern Gaza — such as the Indonesian Hospital.
Its operations have also been threatened due to ongoing military activity.
The ABC has contacted the IDF for comment.
The Gaza Health MInistry says more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since the current conflict was sparked by the Hamas-led terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israeli strike on Hamas fighters in another hospital
On Sunday, the IDF launched what it described as a "precise strike" on Hamas fighters at another hospital.
It targeted the Al Wafa Hospital in Gaza City, where it said members of Hamas's air defence unit were operating.
Local health authorities said seven people were killed in the strike, and more were wounded.
The IDF insisted the building was no longer functioning as a hospital.
