Amid an escalation of the military conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army launched an operation on the territory of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in the region.
The Gaza Health Ministry said a fire started at the entrance to the compound, suffocating women and children inside the hospital.
Communications were cut off and people were trapped in the surgical and emergency departments of one of the buildings, it said. The ministry added, accusing Israeli forces of “another crime against health institutions”:
“There are casualties, including deaths and injuries, and it’s impossible to rescue anyone due to the intensity of the fire and targeting of anyone approaching the windows.”
Israel claimed that tunnels had been tunnelled under the hospital to house Hamas militants and patients were being used as human shields, a claim categorically denied by the group, which condemned the operation as a war crime.
Despite the military action, medical staff and patients have not been ordered to evacuate. However, the Israeli military created corridors for the evacuation of civilians, emphasising the distinction between combatants and civilians.
The Gaza Health Ministry says thousands of people, including displaced civilians, wounded patients and medical staff, have been trapped in Al-Shifa hospital amid the Israeli offensive.
In a message in English on Telegram, it said anyone “who tries to move is targeted by sniper bullets and quadcopter”.
The ministry added that the ongoing raid on Al-Shifa is Israel’s fourth since October 7.
At the same time, there have been reports of heavy artillery fire by Israeli forces on the southern town of Khan Younis, exacerbating the escalation of hostilities in the region.
Despite the ongoing military operation, diplomatic efforts have continued unabated. An Israeli delegation led by Mossad director David Barnea is due to arrive in the Qatari capital Doha today to discuss a Hamas proposal for a temporary truce. However, the outcome of those talks remains uncertain amid heightened tensions and hostilities on the ground.
Israel raided several hospitals in Gaza in a military campaign launched after a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel in which the organisation killed 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages.
The intensity of the offensive has decreased slightly in recent weeks, but the death toll continues to rise. The Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed at least 31,645 people, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry.
