Israeli soldiers have pulled out from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after a two-week battle that resulted in the death of approximately 200 Palestinians and the arrest of hundreds more, as confirmed by the Israeli military on Monday. The troops left behind extensive destruction following prolonged gunfights with Palestinian militants in and around the hospital complex.
Dr. Taysir al-Tanna, a veteran vascular surgeon at Al-Shifa, reported that many key buildings of the hospital, such as the emergency, obstetrics, and surgical wards, suffered severe damage during the conflict, with the main gate being destroyed.
Dr. al-Tanna described the aftermath as resembling a wasteland.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, mentioned that bodies were strewn in and around the hospital complex. The exact death toll remained uncertain, with some bodies buried under rubble or unaccounted for.
Mr. Basal stated, “Even outside the complex itself, there are blocks of buildings that were knocked down, and people are searching for survivors among the debris.”
The Israeli military claimed that the Palestinians killed were militants, and they had apprehended about 900 individuals suspected of being militants at the Shifa complex, including senior members of groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The military also reported the loss of two Israeli soldiers and injuries to eight others during the operation.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military spokesperson, attributed the destruction to the militants, alleging that they had entrenched themselves within hospital wards, fired at soldiers, and refused to surrender. He stated, “We had to engage with the buildings to neutralize the threat and eliminate the terrorists.”
Israeli forces evacuated displaced civilians and some patients from the compound, relocating other patients away from the conflict zone. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, by the weekend, only 107 patients remained in dire conditions, lacking water and adequate medical supplies.
Hamas has not responded to accusations of using the hospital as a base, but they have accused the Israeli military of executing Palestinians within the facility. The armed wing of Hamas has claimed to have engaged in combat with the Israeli military around Al-Shifa in recent weeks.
Hamas condemned the destruction at the hospital as a heinous act facilitated by the support of the U.S. President Biden’s administration.
Before the initial Israeli incursion, the hospital was given a week’s notice to allow any militants hiding there to escape. However, during the recent attack in mid-March, Israeli soldiers conducted a surprise raid in the middle of the night.
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