Report: "Israeli" soldiers sexually assault Kamal Adwan Hospital staff, patients

Recent testimonies gathered by the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor revealed grave violations committed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against civilians during its incursion into Kamal Adwan Hospital and the surrounding areas in northern Gaza.

These accounts detail severe offenses, including targeted killings, extrajudicial executions, and both sexual and physical assaults on women and girls among medical staff and displaced civilians.

On Friday, "Israeli" infantry and armored units stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital and its vicinity after weeks of a brutal siege, which included artillery and air strikes targeting the hospital’s medical personnel. The assaults also critically impaired the hospital’s ability to function by damaging essential equipment such as power generators and oxygen production facilities.

According to eyewitness accounts documented by Euro-Med Monitor’s field team, a series of horrific acts occurred during the IOF assault. Testimonies indicate that IOF detonated explosive robots near residential homes, leading to their collapse and resulting in civilian casualties. IOF soldiers reportedly executed civilians on the spot, including some who were injured or holding white flags.

IOF detained numerous women and girls, subjecting them to severe mistreatment that amounted to sexual harassment and degrading treatment, violating their dignity. This included physical beatings and forced removal of hijabs and clothing.

In a further escalation, the IOF forcibly evacuated civilians from the area, compelling them to flee from northern Gaza. During this operation, several individuals, including medical personnel such as Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, and journalist Islam Ahmed, were abducted.

One witness, identified as "A.A.," a 41-year-old volunteer paramedic, shared his harrowing experience. 

"I am a volunteer paramedic. I was staying in a house near Kamal Adwan Hospital with 11 civilians. Around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, we heard a vehicle at the door," A.A. stated. "I told those with me it seemed like the army was placing explosive robots. Looking out the window, I saw several robots in front of homes in the area."

He continued, "We left our house and moved to another nearby, hoping to survive the explosions. About half an hour later, the robots started detonating. The sounds were massive and terrifying, like miniature nuclear bombs."

"During this time, a young man who had reached another house in the area told us that the place they sought refuge in was bombed, injuring several people. I rushed with others to help, but as we approached the house, an Israeli aircraft fired another missile at it. We managed to evacuate one of the injured and found one dead. However, we were also injured in the process. At that moment, we heard screams from a nearby house that had been hit as well. We were in a dire state, injured and unable to help."

"Later, the army sent a civilian (a Palestinian detainee) to tell us to surrender," A.A. recounted. "We said we were civilians and raised a white flag. They led us to an open area near a cemetery, where we were forced to strip down to our underclothes and stand in the freezing cold. When the child with the psychological disorder stepped out, he ran towards an Israeli tank. I called out to him, but he didn’t respond. They shot him dead immediately. There was an armoured personnel carrier and a tank in the area. A soldier ordered us to gather at a specific spot. Among us were five injured individuals who were forced to walk in front of the tank. Suddenly, they were shot dead without any questioning."

He concluded by saying, "We were then ordered to stop near the tank, and I thought it was going to crush us. After some time, they transported us to the Al-Fakhoura area, where they left us exposed and nearly naked until 8:00 PM. We were around 300 people, and they detained several among us. During this time, an officer fired shots above our heads and ordered us to head towards Jabalia. Drone aircraft hovered overhead until we arrived."

Additionally, Euro-Med Monitor reported testimonies from nurses, patients, and their companions at Kamal Adwan Hospital, detailing acts that constituted sexual violence. IOF soldiers reportedly forced women and girls to strip under threats and verbal abuse. Several victims recounted experiences of sexual harassment.

One nurse recounted, “A soldier forced a nurse to take off her trousers, then placed his hand on her. When she tried to resist, he struck her hard across the face, causing her nose to bleed.”

Another victim described how a soldier threatened a woman in their group, "Take it off, or we’ll force it off you."

In a separate incident, a soldier tore a woman’s clothing after she refused to remove her headscarf, exposing her chest. One victim shared her ordeal, saying she was pulled by a soldier who forced her against him, insisting, “Take it off now,” while hurling obscene comments.

“The soldiers ordered us to remove our hijabs, but we refused," one hospital staff member told Euro-Med Monitor. "They then turned to the girls under 20 years old and demanded they remove their hijabs, but they also refused. The soldiers decided to punish us by taking two women at a time and forcing them to lift their clothes and lower their trousers under threats and coercion.”

The assault also resulted in the destruction and burning of most sections of Kamal Adwan Hospital due to shelling. Preliminary reports indicate that several staff members were killed while attempting to extinguish fires in one of the hospital's sections, which has now been rendered inoperable.