Forces reportedly found weapons and Hamas’ assets inside hospital compound
Tel Aviv, Nov 15: Israeli special forces backed by additional troops entered Gaza city’s Al-Shifa hospital overnight Tuesday to carry out a “precise and targeted operation” against Hamas terror infrastructure at the site.
The operation continued into Wednesday morning, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) finding weapons and Hamas assets inside. At least five Hamas gunmen were killed by troops during a gun battle outside the hospital. No soldiers were hurt, The Times of Israel reported.
The Times of Israel was told there had been no “friction” between troops and patients and medical staff. Incubators for newborns, baby food, and medical supplies were brought by IDF tanks from Israel and delivered to Shifa, the military said.
Israeli special forces backed by additional troops entered Gaza city’s Al-Shifa hospital overnight Tuesday to carry out a “precise and targeted operation” against Hamas terror infrastructure at the site.The operation continued into Wednesday morning, with the IDF finding weapons and Hamas assets inside. At least five Hamas gunmen were killed by troops during a gun battle outside the hospital. No soldiers were hurt.
The Times of Israel was told there had been no “friction” between troops and patients and medical staff. Incubators for newborns, baby food, and medical supplies were brought by IDF tanks from Israel and delivered to Shifa, the military said.
“Medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need” and that civilians are kept out of harm’s way, it added.
“We call upon all Hamas terrorists present in the hospital to surrender,” the military said.
News agency AFP cited a source inside the hospital as reporting that forces raced through the corridors and fired warning shots as they moved from room to room looking for gunmen. The army did not confirm the report, The Times of Israel reported.
The IDF has said the hospital serves as cover for the terror group’s fortified underground command centre – though it is unclear what or who remains there since the military launched its ground offensive in northern Gaza. Hamas leadership is thought to have largely moved to the Strip’s south.
Witnesses have described conditions inside the hospital as dire, with medical procedures performed without anesthetic, families with scant food or water living in corridors, and the stench of decomposing corpses filling the air. The army stressed that the military was “not overrunning” the hospital, asserting troops were conducting a “focused” operation “in a defined area” of the hospital. (IANS)
