Israel Ends Two-Week Operation at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital
After a relentless two-week military operation that left much of the al-Shifa hospital complex in ruins, Israel’s military has finally pulled out of Gaza City.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that during the operation, they “eliminated terrorists” and discovered “numerous weapons and intelligence documents” within the vicinity. The raid was prompted by intelligence suggesting that Hamas was using the hospital as a base for launching attacks.
Despite Hamas denying these allegations and asserting that medical sites were not being used for military purposes, heavy fighting ensued around the hospital, the largest in Gaza.
Following the withdrawal on Monday, the IDF stated that they had successfully completed their operation at the Shifa Hospital, neutralizing threats while ensuring the safety of civilians, patients, and medical staff.
While Palestinian media reports claimed that numerous bodies were found near the hospital, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed 21 patient casualties within the past two weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported over 200 “terrorists” killed in the area.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the WHO described the situation at al-Shifa hospital as a “siege”, emphasizing the dire conditions faced by those inside.
Netanyahu, amidst undergoing surgery for a hernia, reiterated his stance that al-Shifa was a “terrorist lair” and praised the precision of the Israeli soldiers’ surprise attack.
The Israeli PM’s surgery coincided with protests in Jerusalem demanding greater efforts to free hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on Israel earlier in October.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, seven journalists, including a freelancer working for the BBC, were injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group at al-Aqsa hospital. The IDF reported four PIJ members killed in the attack.
