ISRAELI forces launched an overnight raid on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, with reports of tanks and gunfire at the facility.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces said the IDF was carrying out a “high precision operation in limited areas” of the hospital.
It said “senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped” inside the hospital and are using it to launch attacks.
READ MORE: Haiti is without a government and trapped in a ‘living nightmare’
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, around 30,000 people – including displaced civilians, wounded patients and medical staff – are trapped in the building.
“What the occupation forces are doing is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the ministry said.
It added that there are a “number of martyrs and wounded”.
News outlet Al-Jazeera has reported that a fire broke out at one of the hospital gates and that this led to suffocation among the displaced women and children inside.
The Times of Israel, citing the Israeli military, reports the IDF has taken control of the hospital and detained 80 people.
The report also says Israeli troops exchanged fire with Hamas fighters within the facility, in a gunfight that killed and wounded several Hamas members and “lightly wounded” one Israeli soldier.
The IDF had not publicly signalled in advance that it was planning to launch a new operation at al-Shifa.
In a video message posted in the early hours, IDF chief spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said the Israeli military was responding to “concrete intelligence which demanded immediate action”.
He also insisted there is “no obligation” for patients or staff to evacuate although Al Jazeera correspondents on the ground reports Israeli forces used loudspeakers ordering people to do so.
Hospitals have protected status during times of war under international humanitarian law although Israel has long accused Hamas of using medical facilities as cover for its operations, which the group has denied.
The IDF claimed it found a network of tunnels under the hospital used by Hamas when it raided al-Shifa in November 2023, as well as weapons.
According to the UN, 155 health facilities in the Gaza Strip have been damaged since October.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel