Now in its 11th day, the operation is the second of its kind at the hospital, which sits in the western part of northern Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces first raided Al-Shifa in November, an operation in which the facility’s main building was heavily damaged and effectively ceased to function. The raid also comes despite the IDF in January claiming it had completed dismantling Hamas’ command structure in northern Gaza.
Hundreds of those sheltering remained stranded inside the hospital for days — with little food or water — and warned by the Israeli military that they would be shot if they left the hospital without first receiving instructions to evacuate. Eyewitnesses said medical personnel and other civilians were detained by Israeli troops. Residents of the area around Al-Shifa told CNN there was heavy firing in the vicinity.