Troops raid Al-Shifa Hospital
GAZA: The Israeli troops raid Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday, calling Hamas to surrender while thousands of Palestinian civilians were still seeking shelter inside the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Gaza health ministry, told media that Israeli forces had entered the western side of the medical complex, leading to significant explosions and dust in the affected areas.
He expressed the belief that an explosion had occurred inside the hospital.
Hours later, Gaza health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said that the Israeli occupation army was in the hospital’s basement, conducting searches and engaging in gunfire and bombings.
According to Mohammed Zaqout, the director of hospitals at the Gaza health ministry, Israeli forces initially targeted the surgery and emergency departments. Reuters could not independently verify the situation at Al Shifa.
Calls for a humanitarian ceasefire have escalated globally, and the fate of Al Shifa has raised international concerns due to the deteriorating conditions within the facility, trapping thousands of patients, medical staff, and displaced individuals during the Israeli assault on Gaza over the past five weeks.
Israel contends that Hamas has a command center beneath Al Shifa, using the hospital and tunnels underneath for military operations and hostage situations. Hamas denies these allegations.
In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) asserted, “Based on intelligence information and an operational necessity, IDF forces are carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa hospital.”
Earlier,
President Joe Biden emphasized the need to safeguard hospitals in the Gaza Strip as Israeli troops and tanks made a siege of hospitals. He also expressed a desire for Israel to take “less intrusive” actions as Israeli tanks approached the main hospital in the besieged enclave.
Speaking from the White House on Monday, Biden stated, “My hope is that there will be a reduction in actions affecting hospitals, and we are maintaining communication with the Israelis.”
He also mentioned ongoing efforts to secure a pause in hostilities to address the release of prisoners, with negotiations involving the Qataris.
Biden maintained a sense of optimism but underscored the imperative to protect hospitals.
Israel contends that Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, sharing video and photos on Monday alleging weapons stored in the basement of Rantissi Hospital, a pediatric facility specializing in cancer treatment.
In response, Hamas denies these claims made by Israel.
US President Biden issued this statement as Israeli tanks sieged Gaza hospitals.
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks positioned themselves at the entrances of Gaza City’s main hospital, marking it as a primary target in their effort to control the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Inside Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra reported that 32 patients, including three newborns, had died in the past three days due to the hospital’s siege and power shortages.
Approximately 650 patients remained inside, urgently seeking evacuation by the Red Cross or another neutral agency. Israel claims that the hospital sits atop tunnels used by Hamas fighters, with allegations of using patients as shields, while Hamas denies these accusations.
Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallalati, a surgeon at the hospital, stated via telephone, “The tanks are in front of the hospital. We are under full blockade. It’s a totally civilian area. Only hospital facilities, hospital patients, doctors, and other civilians stay in the hospital. Someone should stop this.”
The hospital has been severely impacted by bombings targeting water tanks, wells, and the oxygen pump. Dr. El Mokhallalati emphasized that the hospital is no longer a safe place for treating patients, and they are unintentionally harming patients by keeping them there.
Beyond the immediate crisis, there are growing concerns about the conflict spreading beyond Gaza, with increased clashes on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and the United States launching airstrikes on Iran-linked militia targets in neighboring Syria.
