Israel’s Military Says Its Forces Are Still at Al-Shifa Hospital

The Al Jazeera news network reported that one of its journalists was detained for 12 hours and severely beaten. Israel’s military has not responded to the allegations, causing outrage from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The Gazan Health Ministry condemned the raid as a crime against health institutions, and humanitarian organizations expressed alarm over the situation at the complex. The hospital, along with the surrounding area, had been sheltering 30,000 patients, medical workers, and displaced civilians.

Hospitals should never be battlegrounds, said the director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a social media post warning that the situation was endangering health workers, patients, and civilians.

Doctors Without Borders expressed extreme concern for the safety of patients and medical staff in the hospital compound. The organization urged all warring parties to respect the grounds and perimeter of the hospital and ensure the safety of medical personnel, patients, and civilians.

Israel claimed that the hospital complex also served as a secret Hamas military command center, citing it as one of many examples of civilian facilities used by Hamas to shield its activities.

Four months ago, Israeli forces discovered a tunnel shaft in the complex, supporting their claim that the armed group had been using it to conceal military operations.

Israel has since withdrawn troops from northern Gaza and shifted the focus of its invasion to the south, leading to increased lawlessness in the north and prompting international aid organizations to suspend operations despite a dire humanitarian crisis.

The Biden administration has become increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in the conflict and its impact on civilians. President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, stated that more innocent civilians, including thousands of children, have died in this conflict than in all previous wars in Gaza combined.

A humanitarian crisis has engulfed Gaza, with anarchy prevailing in areas cleared but not stabilized by Israel’s military, he added.

Gabby Sobelman and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed to this report.