The World Health Organization said it had lost contact with staff at the hospital since Friday morning.
“This development is deeply disturbing given the number of patients being served and people sheltering there,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Gaza’s health ministry said Israel’s forces “stormed” the hospital, “detaining hundreds of patients, medical staff and some displaced individuals from neighbouring areas who sought refuge”.
Israel’s COGAT defence ministry body said it had allowed the transfer of 23 patients out of the hospital on Thursday night, which was confirmed by the WHO.
Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative for the Palestinian territories, said he witnessed “mayhem and chaos” at the hospital on Thursday night.
At a checkpoint close to the hospital, the visiting WHO team saw “thousands of women and children leaving that area, walking, limping with their few belongings” towards Gaza City, he added.
