Israeli troops stormed the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza in the culmination of the siege.
Israel claimed that its army launched a “selective” operation against Hamas early Wednesday morning within Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after accusing the terrorist group of using the medical center as a command base.
Conditions at the hospital have rapidly deteriorated in recent days amidst intense fighting, with doctors warning of a “catastrophic” situation for patients, staff, and displaced people still inside.
The raid: The Israel Defense Forces said they had begun a “precise and targeted” operation against Hamas in Al-Shifa, with ongoing clashes.
Israeli tanks and military vehicles were “inside the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital,” according to Khader Al Za’anoun, a reporter for the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
A doctor inside Al-Shifa said they were given a 30-minute warning before the Israeli operation began.
Why is Israel doing this? Israel has accused Hamas of using the Al-Shifa Hospital as a command and control base.
Hospitals are protected in times of war under international humanitarian law, but Israel said the “continuous military use of Shifa by Hamas endangers its protected status.”
The United States cited intelligence information suggesting that Hamas has a command node under the hospital, apparently supporting Israel’s claim.
The Pentagon said that the United States has recently declassified intelligence claiming that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were using hospitals, including Al-Shifa, as a “way to hide and support their military operations and hold hostages.”
The IDF says that no hostages have been found inside Al-Shifa so far.
What do Palestinian officials say? Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Mai Al-Kaila has said that the Israeli army’s incursion represents “a new crime against humanity, medical staff, and patients” and could have “catastrophic consequences” for patients and medical staff.
Her Ministry of Health is based in Ramallah and is under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and is independent from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.
A statement from Hamas blamed both Israel and the United States for the Israeli army’s incursion into the hospital.
Humanitarian situation: Doctors and journalists have described catastrophic conditions inside Al-Shifa, including desperate efforts to keep premature babies alive and limited procedures being performed by candlelight.
Journalist Al Za’anoun said that people inside the hospital “are dying of hunger, there is no food or clean water.”
He said that dozens of bodies are ready to be buried in a mass grave in the hospital complex’s courtyard.
It is believed that thousands of Palestinians are taking refuge inside and around Al-Shifa, trying to escape Israel’s aerial and ground offensive.