Israeli forces conducted an overnight operation at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, characterized by the engagement of tanks and intensive gunfire at the site. According to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, the operation aimed at a “high precision task in limited sections” of the medical facility, targeting “senior Hamas militants” who had reportedly taken refuge within the hospital to orchestrate attacks.
Witnesses within the complex reported widespread panic, with one individual revealing through a WhatsApp voice note the presence of tanks encircling them and the sound of nearby tank fire. Social media footage, though unverified, captured the sounds of heavy gunfire around the hospital area.
Muhammad Al-Sayyid, from inside the hospital, conveyed through a voice message to journalists the dire situation, mentioning casualties and arrests among the chaos. IDF Chief Spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari, in a video message, articulated that the action was in response to “concrete intelligence,” necessitating immediate response, assuring that the hospital’s operations could continue amidst the raid without necessitating evacuation for patients and staff. He also mentioned an evacuation route for displaced individuals sheltering at the facility and urged Hamas to “surrender immediately.”
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry condemned the raid as a “blatant breach of international humanitarian law,” highlighting the hospital’s critical role in sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians, especially given its previous raid earlier in the conflict. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are granted protected status in wartime, although this protection can be forfeited under certain conditions, such as being used for actions harmful to the enemy.
Israel has consistently accused Hamas of utilizing medical facilities for military purposes, a claim Hamas denies. The IDF reported discovering a tunnel network beneath the hospital utilized by Hamas, along with weapons, during a previous raid in November 2023. Before the conflict, al-Shifa was Gaza’s largest medical facility.
