Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip — Palestinian residents report that the Israeli military has withdrawn from Gaza’s largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid, leaving behind several bodies and extensive destruction.
The military has hailed the raid on Shifa Hospital in downtown Gaza City as one of the most successful operations in the nearly six-month war. It claims to have eliminated numerous Hamas and other militants, including senior operatives, and to have seized weapons and valuable intelligence. The military confirmed the withdrawal on Monday.
“Troops have completed precise operational activity in the area of the Shifa Hospital and exited the area of the hospital,” the military said, according to Agence France-Presse.
The U.N. health agency reported that several patients died and dozens were put at risk during the raid, further damaging a hospital that had already ceased to function. Days of heavy fighting demonstrated that Hamas can still resist even in one of the most heavily affected areas of Gaza.
Mohammed Mahdi, who returned to the area with hundreds of Palestinians, described the scene as one of “total destruction.” He reported several burned buildings and counted six bodies, including two in the hospital courtyard.
Video footage online showed heavily damaged buildings, churned dirt from bulldozers, and patients on stretchers in darkened corridors.
Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, mentioned patients, medical workers, and displaced people still sheltering in the medical compound after some patients were transferred to Ahli Hospital. He noted that army bulldozers had destroyed a makeshift cemetery in Shifa’s courtyard.
“The situation is indescribable,” he said. “The occupation destroyed all sense of life here.”
Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided multiple medical facilities. Health officials in Gaza refute these allegations.
Critics accuse the army of endangering civilians and crippling a health sector already overwhelmed with war-wounded. Palestinians claim Israeli troops forcibly evacuated homes near the hospital and compelled hundreds of residents to march south.
At least 21 patients have died since the raid began, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Over a hundred patients remain inside the compound, including children and critical patients facing dire conditions.
Israel had previously raided Shifa Hospital in November, alleging Hamas maintained a command center beneath the compound. The war began on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, resulting in significant casualties.
The war has displaced the majority of Gaza’s population and driven many to the brink of famine. Northern Gaza, where Shifa is situated, has experienced extensive destruction and isolation since October, leading to widespread hunger.
Israel had claimed to have dismantled Hamas in northern Gaza last year but has engaged in battles with militants in the region since. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are freed.
However, he faces criticism for security failures and the inability to reach a deal with Hamas. The war has deeply divided Israelis, with many questioning Netanyahu’s leadership.
Hamas is believed to be holding hostages and the remains of others, despite releasing some prisoners during a cease-fire last November. Tens of thousands protested in Jerusalem against the government, marking the largest anti-government demonstration since the war began.
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