Earlier on Tuesday, the United States said Hamas has a command center under al-Shifa hospital. Israel had made the same claim before.
The Israeli army said early on Wednesday that it had launched a military operation against the forces of the terrorist organization Hamas in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
In a statement, the army said it was conducting a precise and targeted operation against Hamas forces in a specific part of the hospital. The operation is based on intelligence and the necessity of actions, says the army.
According to the statement, preparations have been made for the complex and sensitive operation with special training of the troops. The strike group includes medical troops and soldiers who speak Arabic.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the operation is not intended to harm patients, staff or Gaza residents seeking refuge at the hospital. He added that as the operation progresses, baby food, infant cabinets and other equipment will be brought to the hospital.
Gaza Ministry of Health: Israel warned of an onslaught
The Israeli army gave advance warning of the raid just minutes before the start of the operation, said a spokesman for the Gaza Strip’s Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra to the Al-Jazeera channel.
Al-Qidra said Gaza authorities notified the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of the Israeli military’s warning.
– The ICRC must take a stand on the matter in order to ensure the safety of all patients in the al-Shifa hospital area, al-Qidra said According to The Guardian.
According to the spokesman, the Israeli army had also warned that people should avoid being near windows in the hospital.
Hamas: US gave green light to Israeli strike
Earlier on Tuesday, the White House said that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization have a command center under al-Shifa, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas denied the claim and asserted that the US administration’s comments about the organization’s alleged command center under al-Shifa hospital will lead to new bloodshed in hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
– These statements show a green light for Israel to carry out more brutal massacres, the targets of which are hospitals. Israel’s goal is to destroy the health care system in Gaza and move Palestinians out of the area, a Hamas statement said.
Al-Shifa hospital has been besieged between the fighting and the conditions there are dire. According to the UN, in addition to patients and staff, there are at least 2,300 civilians who fled the fighting in the hospital.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, STT