The IDF launched a new operation in the Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza early Monday morning, in light of intelligence showing that senior Hamas officials were using the hospital to command terrorist operations, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the operation was targeting limited areas within the hospital complex based on “concrete intelligence that demanded immediate action.”
Hagari added the senior Hamas terrorists had regrouped inside the hospital and were using it as a command center for attacks against Israel.
◾ تغطية صحفية: “:حزام ناري كثيف وقذائف صاروخية بشكل هستيري محيط مستشفى الشفاء.” pic.twitter.com/jkhqikJMdK
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) March 18, 2024
“Our targeted mission isn’t just an operational necessity; it’s a global imperative,” said Hagari.
IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari discusses a new IDF operation in Shifa Hospital in Gaza. March 18, 2024 (Credit: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
The Israeli forces who entered the area received special training and were briefed in advance about the importance of avoiding harm to patients, civilians, medical staff, and medical equipment. Arabic speakers are accompanying the forces in order to facilitate dialogue with the patients at the hospital. Patients and staff are not being ordered to evacuate.
IDF to facilitate humanitarian efforts during operation
The IDF will also continue humanitarian efforts in the area, bringing food, water, and medical supplies to the hospital. IDF doctors are present as well to provide assistance.
“Our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza,” stressed Hagari. “We seek no harm to the civilians that Hamas is hiding behind.”
“We call upon all Hamas terrorists hiding in hospitals, surrender immediately. Medical facilities should never be exploited for terror. Hamas must be held accountable,” concluded the IDF spokesperson.
Palestinian media reported intensive armed clashes between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli forces in the hospital complex shortly before the IDF statement was published.
“The IDF will continue to act in accordance with international law and against the Hamas terrorist organization – which operates from hospitals and civilian infrastructure in a systematic and cynical way, without the distinction between the civilian population and the organization’s terrorists,” said the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
In mid-November, the IDF entered the Shifa Hospital, searching the facility for terrorists and weapons. The IDF found several tunnels in the area, as well as surveillance camera footage showing hostages being dragged into the hospital on October 7.
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