Israeli forces raid Shifa Hospital after Hamas attack from medical facility
"During the activity, terrorists opened fire at the troops from within the hospital. The troops responded with live fire and hits were identified. Our troops are continuing to operate in the area of the hospital."
Gaza's Shifa Hospital (TPS)
TEL AVIV: Israeli troops raided the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after being fired on by Hamas terrorists inside the medical facility, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday morning.
"Following intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists in the area of the Shifa hospital, and their use of the hospital's infrastructure to conduct terrorist activity, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting a precise operation to thwart terrorist activity and apprehend terrorists in the Shifa hospital compound," the IDF said.
"During the activity, terrorists opened fire at the troops from within the hospital. The troops responded with live fire and hits were identified. Our troops are continuing to operate in the area of the hospital."
The military released footage of gunmen firing on the soldiers.
"We see that the Hamas terrorist organization is continuing its military activity inside hospitals. We are willing to provide any humanitarian aid needed. Our request is simple: an immediate end to all of the terrorist activity in the hospitals."
Over the past few days, the Head of the Coordination and Liasion Administration (CLA) for Gaza spoke with the Director of the Gaza Ministry of Health about Hamas terror squads resuming activities within the Shifa hospital and the necessity to thwart them in coordination with the Shifa administration.
The IDF said that before the operation, soldiers were instructed on the importance of operating cautiously and avoiding harm to the patients, civilians, medical staff, and medical equipment. In addition, the army brought Arabic speakers to facilitate dialogue with the patients remaining in the hospital.
The IDF stressed that there is no obligation for the patients or medical staff to evacuate and that soldiers are providing food, water and medical supplies to patients and civilians in the Shifa compound.
According to IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 85 per cent of Gaza's hospitals have been used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for terror.
In December, Ahmed Kahlot, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, confirmed to Israeli interrogators that he and other staff were Hamas operatives.
During the interrogation, Kahlot described how Hamas used hospitals and ambulances to hide operatives, launch military activity, transport members of terror squads and even deliver a kidnapped Israeli soldier.
Other Gazans have told Israeli interrogators deeply embedded themselves in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to use hospitals as a base for attacks.
As reported by the Tazpit Press Service, Hamas made extensive use of the Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical center. Hamas launched rockets from its compound, hid hostages in the bowels of the building, tortured collaborators, and dug tunnels connecting Shifa to nearby sites. Israel also released a recording of a phone call confirming that Hamas also stores at least a half-million liters of fuel underneath the compound.
And in Jenin, in northern Samaria, Israeli soldiers disguised as doctors and nurses killed three terrorists hiding inside the Ibn Sina Hospital and planning an imminent terror attack.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.
