The Israeli military said Wednesday they launched a raid on Gaza City’s Al Shifa hospital and claimed the lives of 90 alleged gunmen and arrested another 160, New York Post reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that the hospital served as a hideout for Hamas fighters, according to the New York Post. The operation started Monday night and targeted Al Shifa, one of the remaining functional medical facilities in the besieged region. The hospital has become a sanctuary for tens of thousands of Palestinians amidst ongoing conflict. During the raid reportedly two Israeli soldiers lost their lives.
Israeli military says it killed 90 gunmen in raid on Gaza’s largest hospital https://t.co/72yulCoWwt pic.twitter.com/tsv7FtYnsU
— New York Post (@nypost) March 20, 2024
“Over the past day, the troops have eliminated terrorists and located weapons in the hospital area, while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment,” the military said in a statement, New York Post reported.
The military published videos of weapons stashes inside the facility. The armed forces detailed deploying special units, accompanied by infantry and tanks as they acted on reports that the facility was once more harboring armed individuals. The military raided the hospital and they claimed they were shot at by snipers, according to the New York Post. Faiq Mabhouh, a high-ranking member of Hamas accused of planning terrorist acts from the hospital, was among those killed. (RELATED: Video Captures Destruction Of Part Of Hamas Tunnel Network Spanning Over 1.5 Miles, IDF Says)
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of Gaza’s Hamas-run government media office, denied Israel’s claims. He said that the raid harmed injured patients and people seeking safety in the hospital, the outlet added. He accused Israel of lying to defend its actions, which he said violated international laws.
“The Israeli occupation army practices lying and deception in spreading its narrative as part of justifying its continuous and law-breaking crimes, which violate international law, international humanitarian law,” Al-Thawabta said, New York Post reported.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from global figures, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who condemned the incident. “Hospitals should never be battlegrounds. We are terribly worried about the situation at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern #Gaza, which is endangering health workers, patients and civilians,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X.
Israeli troops previously attacked a hospital November, causing international backlash. The IDF shared photos and videos of tunnel entrances near the hospital, allegedly leading to underground bunkers, according to the New York Post.