Israeli forces launched another raid on the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital early Monday, saying Hamas terrorists had regrouped there and had fired on them from inside the compound, where Gaza officials say tens of thousands of people have been sheltering.
This from newsmax.com.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief Israeli military spokesperson, said:
[The army launched] a high-precision operation in parts of the medical complex.
Further:
[S]enior Hamas terrorists had regrouped there and were directing attacks from the compound.
The army released an aerial video of what it said were terrorists firing on its forces from inside the hospital, as well as video of a rocket-propelled grenade striking an armored vehicle. It said its forces had detained around 80 people.
Hagari said:
[T]he patients and medical staff could remain in the medical complex and that a safe passage was available for civilians who wanted to leave.
Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian facilities to shield its fighters, and the Israeli military has raided several hospitals since the start of the war.
The army last raided Shifa Hospital in November after claiming Hamas maintained an elaborate command center within and beneath the facility. The military revealed a tunnel leading to some underground rooms, as well as weapons it said were found inside the hospital.
People sheltering in the hospital said Israeli forces backed by tanks and artillery had surrounded the medical complex and that snipers were shooting at people inside. They said the army raided a number of buildings and detained dozens of people.
Abdel-Hady Sayed, who has been sheltering in the medical facility for over three months, said:
We’re trapped inside. They fire at anything moving. … Doctors and ambulances can’t move.
For what it is worth, Gaza’s Hamas terrorist-run Health Ministry said:
[T]he Israeli army was directing gun and missile fire at a building used for specialized surgeries…a fire broke out at the hospital’s gate.
The Health Ministry reported approximately 30,000 people are sheltering at the hospital, including patients, medical staff, and people who have fled their homes seeking safety.
The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have spent weeks trying to broker another cease-fire and hostage release, but the gulf between the two sides remains wide, with Hamas demanding guarantees for an end to the war and Israel vowing to continue the offensive until all hostages are returned without giving back convicted murderers in prisoner swaps.
Israel’s offensive has driven most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes and the U.N.—if believable—said a quarter of the population is starving.
Northern Gaza, including Gaza City, was the first target of the invasion and suffered widespread destruction. The military said late last year that it had dismantled most of Hamas’ military infrastructure in the north and withdrew thousands of forces, but sporadic fighting has continued.
Airdrops by the U.S. and other nations continue, while deliveries on a new sea route have begun, but aid groups say it is essential that Israel open up more ground routes and ease restrictions to meet the mounting humanitarian needs.
