The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported that Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops have withdrawn from Shifa Hospital in Gaza after a raid on the medical center. Eyewitnesses said troops withdrew under the cover of airstrikes and artillery fire. The IDF confirmed the reports and stated that the troops killed terrorists, located weapons and intelligence documents, and prevented harm to civilians, patients, and medical teams during their operation. The military operation was launched to target terror leaders and infrastructure, resulting in the capture and killing of over 500 members of terror groups, including top commanders.
During a military operation in a different area of Gaza, IDF Commando troops killed terrorists, conducted targeted raids on terrorist infrastructure, and apprehended a number of suspects. The troops found weapons, including explosive devices, during their searches. More than 900 suspects were detained for questioning, and over 6,000 civilians were evacuated from the compound where the operation took place. Around 350 patients and medical staff at Shifa Hospital were evacuated by the IDF to a designated compound within the complex, where they were provided with humanitarian aid and supplies.
The IDF operation at Shifa Hospital raised concerns about the use of medical facilities for military activity. International law protects medical facilities in conflict, but they lose that protection if they are used for military purposes. Israeli officials accused Hamas of using medical facilities as cover for terror operations and taking humanitarian supplies for fighters, depriving civilians of aid. Shifa Hospital had been one of the few operational medical facilities in northern Gaza before the fighting started and was also hosting civilians displaced by the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists.
A spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense claimed that about 300 people were killed at Shifa Hospital by the IDF, including some who were handcuffed. The World Health Organization has not spoken out about Hamas’ use of the hospital as a headquarters for terror activities. Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted a Berkeley City Council meeting and a Holocaust remembrance vote, calling for an end to Israel. While the IDF confirmed the withdrawal of troops from Shifa Hospital, the aftermath of the military operation raised questions about the protection of medical facilities in conflict zones and the use of such facilities for military purposes.
