The Israeli military conducted a raid on Wednesday (November 15) targeting Hamas militants in Al Shifa Hospital. Prior to the operation, Israeli military had called on the militants to surrender, despite thousands of Palestinian civilians seeking shelter inside Gaza Strip’s largest hospital. Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Gaza health ministry, reported to Al Jazeera television that Israeli forces raided the western side of the medical complex.
“There are big explosions and dust entered the areas where we are. We believe an explosion occurred inside the hospital,” Bursh said.
Several hours later, Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry, informed Al Jazeera, “The occupation army is now in the basement, and searching the basement. They are inside the complex, shooting and carrying out bombings”.
The initial target of the Israeli forces was the surgery and emergency departments, as reported by Mohammed Zaqout, the director of hospitals for the Gaza health ministry.
Gaza hospitals caught in crossfire
Israel asserts that Hamas operates a command center beneath Al Shifa, utilizing both the hospital and the tunnels beneath it to hide military operations and hold hostages. Hamas, however, denies these allegations.
In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said, “Based on intelligence information and an operational necessity, IDF forces are carrying out a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa hospital.”
“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,” the military added.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed profound concern over the “significant loss of life” in hospitals, as stated by his spokesman. “In the name of humanity, the secretary-general calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” the spokesman told reporters.
White House says does not support hospital air strikes or firefight
The US on Tuesday stated that its intelligence supports Israel’s conclusions. In response, Hamas claimed on Wednesday that the US announcement essentially sanctioned Israel to carry out a raid on the hospital. The group asserted full responsibility on Israel and US President Joe Biden for the operation.
“We do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in the crossfire. Hospitals and patients must be protected,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement.
Israeli forces have engaged in intense street battles against Hamas fighters over the past 10 days, eventually advancing into the center of Gaza City and surrounding Al Shifa. In retaliation for the militants’ cross-border assault into Israel on Oct 7, Israel has pledged to eradicate Hamas. According to Israel, Hamas is responsible for the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 240 hostages during the incursion.
Dire condition at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital
Hamas reports that approximately 650 patients and 5,000 to 7,000 other civilians are trapped within the hospital grounds, facing continuous fire from Israeli snipers and drones. Due to shortages of fuel, water, and supplies, 40 patients have reportedly died in recent days. Within the neo-natal ward, 36 babies remain after three deaths. With a lack of fuel for generators to power incubators, efforts are being made to keep the babies as warm as possible, with eight lined up on a bed.
Despite Israel’s offer to send portable incubators, Palestinians trapped in the hospital dug a mass grave on Tuesday to bury deceased patients. There is currently no evacuation plan for the babies. Gaza’s health ministry spokesman, Qidra, mentioned that around 100 bodies are decomposing inside with no means to remove them.
According to medical officials in Hamas-run Gaza, over 11,000 people have been confirmed dead as a result of Israeli strikes, with approximately 40% of them being children. Many others are believed to be trapped under rubble. Around two-thirds of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have become homeless, unable to escape the territory where essential resources such as food, fuel, fresh water, and medical supplies are running out.
International Law and calls for humanitarian ceasefire
International appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire have increased in the past few days, and there is growing global concern about the fate of Al Shifa. The deteriorating conditions within the facility have become a focal point of international attention, with thousands of patients, medical staff, and displaced individuals trapped during the Israeli assault on Gaza over the past five weeks.
Israel’s approach to Shifa hospital has prompted questions regarding its interpretation of international laws safeguarding medical facilities and the well-being of the thousands of displaced individuals seeking refuge there, according to UN human rights officials. While hospitals are recognized as protected structures under international humanitarian law, the situation becomes complex when there are allegations of Shifa being utilized for military purposes, which would also violate international law, as noted by UN officials.
Medical units engaged in activities deemed harmful to the enemy, especially if they persist despite warnings to cease, forfeit their special protection under international law. In a statement on Wednesday, Israel asserted that it had given Gaza authorities a 12-hour notice to halt military activities within the hospital. “Unfortunately, it did not,” the military statement said.
(With inputs from agencies)