The Israeli military on Monday surrounded and opened fire at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, repeating the claim that Hamas is using the medical facility to “conduct and promote terrorist activity”.
Gaza’s media office said in a statement that heavily armed Israeli troops, accompanied by drones and tanks, launched the offensive in the early hours of dawn on Monday and began shooting inside the complex, threatening the lives of thousands of people there.
According to reports, the specialized surgery building at al-Shifa Hospital is ablaze after Israeli tanks shelled the hospital.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli military would be conducting a “humanitarian effort” during the planned assault, providing food and water, and emphasised that there is “no obligation” for patients and medical staff to evacuate the hospital.
“We know that senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside the [al-Shifa] Hospital and are using it to command attacks against Israel,” Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a video posted on X.
The attack demonstrates Israel’s intent to destroy Gaza’s hospitals, it said, calling on the international community “to intervene immediately and urgently to curb the occupation and stop the war of extermination”.
