KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza’s largest hospital was raided by the Israeli military on Wednesday as part of a targeted operation against Hamas. Troops also gained control of northern Gaza, capturing the territory’s legislature building and its police headquarters.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has been the focus of the recent war, with hundreds of patients, staff, and displaced people trapped inside. Shifa had to stop operations over the weekend due to dwindling supplies and a lack of electricity. The lack of electricity made it impossible to run incubators and other life-saving equipment, forcing the morgue to dig a mass grave for 120 bodies on Tuesday.
The hospital has become a center of conflicting narratives about the war. Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields, while Palestinians, rights groups, and international critics accuse Israel of recklessly harming civilians.
The Israeli military confirmed its raid on the Shifa complex and claimed to have targeted specific areas while trying to avoid harming civilians.
Israel has long alleged that militants conceal military assets in hospitals, including Shifa, a claim that Hamas and medical staff deny.
Amid the conflicts, the Palestinian Red Crescent evacuated patients, doctors, and displaced families from another Gaza City hospital, Al-Quds.
Following an attack on October 7, which resulted in the capture of roughly 240 hostages, Israel vowed to end Hamas rule in Gaza. The offensive has had dire consequences for Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 11,200 people, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed, and about 2,700 people have been reported missing. Conditions in the territory have been deteriorating as bombings continue, forcing around 200,000 people to flee the north.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees stated that its fuel storage facility in Gaza was empty and they would soon cease relief operations if fuel supplies did not arrive. The lack of fuel would lead to even more suffering and potential deaths.
Israeli defense officials have allowed some fuel in for humanitarian efforts on U.N. trucks, as a response to a request from the U.S.
PLIGHT OF HOSPITALS
Fighting around Shifa Hospital has led to a significant number of deaths. The Health Ministry has proposed evacuating the hospital under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross, but has not received a response.
The White House’s national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, stated that the U.S. has intelligence indicating that Hamas and other Palestinian militants use hospitals and tunnels underneath them to support military operations and hold hostages.
MARCH FOR HOSTAGES
Families and supporters of the hostages held by Hamas began a protest march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, demanding the government bring home their loved ones.
BATTLE IN GAZA CITY
Independent accounts of the fighting have been nearly impossible to gather due to communication breakdowns. Israeli forces have made significant gains in Gaza City, but the war is expected to last for months.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said that Israeli forces have completed the takeover of Shati refugee camp and are moving freely in the city. Israel has killed several thousand fighters while 46 of its own soldiers have been killed in Gaza.
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Jeffery and Keath reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Amy Teibel in Jerusalem, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip; and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
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Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
