Israel is carrying out a military operation against Gaza’s largest hospital
The Israeli army began a military operation on Tuesday evening (14) at AlShifa Hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip. According to the doctors working there, around a thousand people are currently housed in the unit, including patients and those seeking shelter.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had found Hamas weapons in the hospital and in the terrorist infrastructure. The operation was carried out due to “Hamas’ continued military use of Shifa Hospital,” the organization said.
“IDF soldiers found weapons and other terrorist infrastructure. In the last hour, we have seen concrete evidence that Hamas terrorists were using Shifa Hospital as a terrorist headquarters,” an IDF official told Portal.
The official did not specify which part of the hospital troops conducted the searches or say what was found but said the evidence would be presented later.
“This is an extremely precise and targeted operation. Our forces are present in a specific area of the massive Shifa Hospital complex,” the official said, without saying how long the operation would take.
Israel points out that Hamas has used AlShifa to cover up terrorist actions for years. Hamas denies this.
An Israel Defense Forces spokesman said there was no confrontation at the hospital. The terrorist group Hamas reports 30 deaths in the operation, which cannot be independently verified.
The US has said it does not support airstrikes or that it wants to see “fires” in hospitals. Tedros Adhanom, director of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the situation was “extremely worrying” and that he had lost contact with doctors there.
Israel said the military operation brought supplies and equipment to hospital patients and did not lead to intraunit conflict.
Meanwhile, patients have already dug a mass grave to bury the dead in an area described by the WHO as “almost a cemetery.”
Israel believes measures in the hospital are justified. “Hamas’ continued military use of Shifa Hospital jeopardizes its protected status under international law,” the country’s army said.
1 of 1 Soldiers walk through the Gaza Strip during a ground operation, November 13, 2023 Photo: Israel Defense Forces Soldiers walk through the Gaza Strip during a ground operation, November 13, 2023 Photo: Israel Defense Forces Israel
More than a month of war
The conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when the terrorist group carried out a surprise attack on Israel, the most violent action against Israeli territory in 50 years. The country’s intelligence services could not have suspected that an offensive of this magnitude was being prepared.
Faced with the Hamas offensive, the Israeli government began retaliatory measures. and on October 7, he dropped bombs toward the Gaza Strip.
According to the Hamas government, 1,402 people have died on the Israeli side and 11,240 in the Gaza Strip (the figures could not be independently verified).