Gaza: Israeli troops hunt for Hamas fighters, weapons in Al Shifa hospital

Witnesses claimed that Israeli troops searched the basement and rooms of Gaza’s largest hospital on Wednesday while pursuing Palestinian Hamas militants. The operation has raised concerns about the safety of thousands of civilians who are trapped inside and have caused widespread concern worldwide.

Israeli forces have turned their attention to the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City. They claim that Hamas fighters discovered the “beating heart” of their operations in a headquarters housed in tunnels beneath the hospital; however, Hamas disputes this claim.

After eliminating terrorists in an altercation outside the hospital, Israel claimed that its forces had discovered “terror infrastructure” and unidentified weaponry within the compound. They claimed that once inside, there had been no altercation with patients, workers, or civilians and no fighting.

Hailing the entry of his forces into the hospital after days of encirclement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “There is no place in Gaza that we cannot reach. There are no hideouts. There is no shelter or refuge for the Hamas murderers.

“We will reach and eliminate Hamas and we will bring back our hostages. These are two sacred missions,” he said.

The Israeli military published images of a soldier next to cardboard cartons labelled “baby food” and “medical supplies” at a location inside Al Shifa. Additional images displayed Israeli soldiers moving past improvised tents and beds in a tactical configuration.

The plight of thousands of internally displaced residents who had taken refuge there, as well as the hundreds of patients confined inside without energy to run basic medical equipment, have drawn attention from throughout the globe. Authorities in Gaza claim that numerous patients, including three newborns, passed away in recent days as a result of Israel’s encirclement of the hospital.

Following terrorists’ incursion into Israel on October 7, which resulted in a rampage through cities where they killed citizens and took hostages back to the enclave, Israel began its effort to destroy Hamas, the Islamist organisation that controls Gaza. On what Israel claims to be the worst day in its 75-year history, 1,200 people were slain and about 240 were taken prisoner.

Since then, Israel has bombarded the densely populated strip with airstrikes and placed the whole 2.3 million people living in Gaza under siege. Over 11,000 Palestinians have been confirmed murdered, with about 40% of them being children, according to Gaza health professionals, who are regarded as trustworthy by the UN. More are buried beneath the debris. Two thirds of Gaza’s population are now without a place to live after Israel ordered the evacuation of the entire northern portion of the city.

(With agency inputs)