The Israeli army announced early on Wednesday that it was carrying out a “selective” operation inside Al Shifa hospital, the most important in the Gaza Strip, where they claim that the Islamist movement Hamas hides a commanding position.
“Based on intelligence information and operational need, the Israeli defense forces conduct a selective and precision operation against Hamas in a specific sector of Al Shifa hospital”, the army declared in a statement in English.
Previously, the Ministry of Health of the Gaza Strip said it had received notice from the Israeli army of its intention to deploy an operation in this hospital, which for days has been at the center of the conflict that broke out on October 7.
Thousands of people, including the sick, health personnel and civilians displaced by the war they are crammed into this complex which, according to Hamas, is surrounded “on all sides” by Israeli troops and is in the midst of “intense shooting.”
The Israeli army accuses Hamas of hiding a strategic command position in the hospital and using civilians as “human shields”, something that the Islamist movement denies.