Based on intelligence that senior Hamas operatives are using the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza to organise operations against Israel, the Israeli military launched a targeted raid within restricted parts of the facility.
Early on Monday morning, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Radam stated that the operation is in reaction to specific intelligence that calls for quick action. She emphasised that the goal of the operation is to fight Hamas militants rather than endanger civilians.
“We know that senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside the al-Shifa hospital and are using it to command attacks against Israel,” claimed RAdm Hagari.
He further stressed that in order to reduce the number of civilian casualties, the operation is carried out with caution and precision. The IDF is offering humanitarian aid to civilians and has sent medical professionals and Arabic-speaking staff to assist patients inside the hospital compound.
“While there is no obligation for patients and medical staff to evacuate the hospital, a pathway is available for civilians seeking to leave,” RAdm Hagari said. He emphasised that hospitals should never be used as a cover for terrorist activity and urged Hamas militants to turn themselves up.
“Terrorist attacks should never be carried out via medical facilities. Hagari said in his brief video statement, which was uploaded by IDF on X, “Hamas must be held accountable.”
“We hold the Israeli occupation responsible for the lives of medical staff, patients, and displaced people inside the al-Shifa Medical Complex,” the Health Ministry in Gaza, which is under the leadership of Hamas, stated in a statement regarding the ongoing Israeli offensive, as reported by Al Jazeera.
“International humanitarian law is being flagrantly violated by what the occupation soldiers are doing. The statement continued, “The Israeli occupation continues to manipulate the world with its manufactured narratives in order to justify the storming of the al-Shifa Medical Complex.”
Dozens of Palestinians were seen escaping Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital in footage that Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification section was able to confirm was taken during an operation by Israeli soldiers.
There were casualties and fatalities as Israeli forces opened fire inside the northern Gaza City medical facility. According to the report, Israeli bombing was also the cause of a fire that started in one of the surgical buildings at al-Shifa Hospital.
Additionally, the Israeli military is using loudspeakers to force everyone to leave the hospital as gunfire inside the complex has resulted in fatalities and injuries, according to Al Jazeera.