Israel conducts raid of Gaza's largest hospital believed to be used by Hamas

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, November 16, 2023

A plume of smoke follows an Israeli airstrike in the northern part of the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its bombardment and ground offensive on November 09, 2023, seen from Sderot, Israel. A month after Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks that left 1,200 dead and over 240 held hostage, Israel has maintained a relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip and launched a ground invasion to vanquish the terrorist group that governs the Palestinian territory. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said that over 10,000 people have died in Gaza during the war, while the IDF has reported the deaths of several dozen Israeli soldiers. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Israeli forces commenced a targeted operation at Gaza City’s largest hospital, killing at least five terrorists and delivering humanitarian aid to the hospital. Israel says Hamas forces are using the hospital for military purposes, which Hamas has denied.

According to a Wednesday statement, Israel Defense Forces are conducting “a precise and targeted operation” against a specific area in the Shifa Hospital. The IDF had informed Gaza authorities on the previous day to cease military operations within the hospital within 12 hours, which IDF says did not happen.

“The IDF forces include medical teams and Arabic speakers, who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians being used by Hamas as human shields,” the IDF statement reads.

Israel is at war with Hamas following the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 surprise attack during a Jewish holiday that left at least 1,200 people dead, a majority of them civilians, and resulted in the abduction of around 240 people, including some Americans.

In response, Israel launched airstrikes and a ground offensive inside Gaza, seeking to eradicate Hamas, an internationally recognized terror organization that has controlled Gaza since 2007. Hamas-run health authorities say that over 11,000 in Gaza have been killed since the war began.

According to the statement, the IDF has remained in contact with hospital authorities and facilitated an evacuation of the hospital, emphasizing that Israel is at war with Hamas, not the citizens of Gaza.

The IDF claims Hamas is using the hospital for military purposes, therefore violating its protected status under international law.

The Associated Press reports that Hamas and the Gaza Health Ministry reject the claim militants are operating a command center at the 500-bed facility. The raid drew criticism from Palestinian rights activists, who claim it endangered civilians.

In a Wednesday X post, IDF stated that it provided the hospital with multiple resources, including incubators, baby food and medical supplies.

“Our medical team and Arabic speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need,” the IDF stated.

The targeted operation against Hamas terrorists in the Shifa Hospital is ongoing. In a separate social media post, the IDF shared video of Israeli forces delivering humanitarian aid to the hospital and searching the area for explosives and terrorist infrastructure.

As The Times of Israel reported Wednesday, IDF discovered weapons and Hamas assets inside the hospital and killed at least five Hamas terrorists in a gunfight outside of the building. However, no Israeli soldiers appear to have been hurt.

Another IDF video posted to X purports to show weapons and a laptop the IDF discovered hiding behind an MRI machine. An IDF official said the laptop provides "a lot of incriminating evidence."

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— ??? ????? ?????? (@idfonline) November 15, 2023

Throughout the war, the IDF has repeatedly raised concerns about the terrorist group using hospitals to conduct military operations.

Earlier this month, the IDF shared a video purporting to show captured Hamas members admitting that the group hides inside hospitals and uses ambulances for terrorist purposes.

In one of the clips, an Israeli interrogator asked one of the men why Hamas uses ambulances and not regular vehicles. The terrorist replied, “Jews don’t attack ambulances.”

Another clip shared by the IDF featured a different Hamas terrorist explaining that the group hides in hospitals, citing Al-Shifa as one of the hospitals where Hamas militants hide in the basement.

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari also shared footage with international media outlets of a Hamas terrorist firing at Israeli forces from within the Sheikh Hamad Hospital, and the footage also showed the terrorist emerging from a tunnel underneath the hospital.

In addition to hospitals, the IDF has shared video and photos of Hamas rocket launching sites positioned near children’s playgrounds and residential areas. On Nov. 5, the IDF shared a video on X of soldiers in Beit Hanoun, a city in the northeast edge of the Gaza Strip, pointing out rocket launcher barrels within a residential neighborhood.

“What you can see here is a group of four launching barrels for rockets [being fired] towards Israel,” an IDF soldier said in the video. “Only 5 meters from a children’s swimming pool, and maybe 20-30 meters from residential buildings. All this in the heart of a residential neighborhood.”

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman