The Israeli military claimed it was conducting an operation against Hamas at the Gaza Strip’s Al Shifa hospital on Wednesday and urged all members of the militant group to surrender.
Less than an hour ago, a spokeswoman for the Gaza health ministry said Israel had informed officials in the enclave that it would raid the Shifa hospital complex. “in the coming minutes.”
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), in a statement, said: “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.”
The military added: “The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to civilians.”
According to Israel, Hamas operates a command headquarters beneath Al Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest, and uses the hospital and tunnels beneath to conceal military activities and hostages. It is denied by Hamas.
On Tuesday, the United States stated that its own intelligence corroborated those judgements.
Five weeks after Israel vowed to destroy Hamas in response to a cross-border attack by terrorists, the fate of Al Shifa has become a source of international concern due to deteriorating conditions in the facility.
According to medical workers, the hospital is barely operating owing to Israeli attacks and a lack of fuel to operate generators.
Over the last ten days, Israeli soldiers have engaged in severe street clashes with Hamas fighters before marching into Gaza City and surrounding Al Shifa.
