Following a two-week operation that resulted in the destruction of the majority of the main medical complex, the Israeli force has evacuated the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
Hamas, the head of Gaza's health ministry, reported the discovery of dozens of dead and the destruction of neighboring neighborhoods.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that they had killed two hundred "terrorists," captured over five hundred others, and found weapons and intelligence evidence "all throughout the hospital."
Since Hamas had regrouped in al-Shifa, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a raid there.
The operation lasted about two weeks and included intensive combat as well as air attacks by the Israeli military against neighboring structures and the surrounding region.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claimed in a statement that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives used the wards as a base for their attacks. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) accused them of fighting within medical departments, setting off bombs, and destroying hospital facilities.
Images released after the Israeli disengagement from the area showed Palestinians approaching the burnt main buildings with portions of the wall gone and carrying corpses covered in blankets. The graphic photographs partially revealed the bodies of the deceased on the churned ground.
The Ministry of Health reported that the hospital facility, now "completely out of service," had discovered dozens of corpses, some of which had suffered from decomposition.
A physician informed the AFP news agency that they had recovered more than twenty dead, some crushed by abandoned automobiles.
A spokeswoman for the Hamas-run civil emergency service in Gaza said that Israeli soldiers had used bulldozers to excavate the compound's grounds and exhume buried remains.
According to the media office of the Hamas administration, Israeli troops were responsible for the deaths of 400 Palestinians in al-Shifa and the surrounding region. A female physician and her son, also a physician, were among those slain.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, said in an update that the IDF had made "special efforts not to harm any patients, any medical staff, or any civilians while they were in the area."
"We provided medical supplies and water to patients who remained in the compound."
He announced the killing of another two hundred individuals he referred to as "terrorists". More than 900 individuals were taken into custody, and it was later discovered that more than 500 of them were linked with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which are considered to be terrorist organizations by Israel, the United Kingdom, and other nations. He went on to say that the suspects had shown "significant intelligence" as a result of their interrogation.
Previously, the Israeli Defense Forces stated that "forces found large quantities of weapons and intelligence documents throughout the hospital, encountered terrorists in close-quarters battles, and engaged in combat while avoiding harm to the medical staff and patients."
The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement on Sunday evening confirming the deaths of 21 people. Many relocations and confinement without medical attention had befallen the patients.
Dr. Amira al-Safady of al-Shifa stated in an interview with the BBC's Gaza Lifeline radio that approximately sixteen patients in the critical care unit died following their evacuation. This was due to the fact that she and other medical professionals did not have the necessary equipment to treat them.
She said that three days later, the military personnel instructed the medical team to bury them outdoors.
We have sent a request for comment to the Israeli Defense Forces. Reports claim that forces have set up a temporary medical care infrastructure in al-Shifa, and a video captures troops setting up a limited number of beds.
A patient named Barra al-Shawish told the Reuters news agency that the Israeli military had allowed the entry of a "very small amount of food". "There was no treatment, no medicine, nothing, and bombing for 24 hours that didn't stop, causing immense destruction in the hospital," he told reporters.
A doctor at al-Shifa informed Reuters that they were transferring some of the patients to al-Ahli hospital, located approximately three kilometers (1.8 miles) to the south-east.
There have been hundreds of Palestinians seeking cover from Israeli shelling on the grounds of Gaza's hospitals, and Israeli soldiers have stormed the buildings because they believe Hamas members are located there. The hospitals have been a primary focus of the ongoing military conflict.
Israel has long accused Hamas of launching its operations by exploiting civilian health facilities as a cover. Hamas has refused to acknowledge this accusation.
Only a few hours were required for hundreds of Israeli soldiers to approach and penetrate the biggest hospital in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of the previous week. When they conducted their first contentious attack there in November, it took several weeks for vast numbers of tanks and vehicles, supported by massive air strikes, to move in on the place. This was a striking contrast to the situation that they now find themselves in.
The Israeli military has been able to conduct a surprise assault on the enemy in order to hit it hard, which has proven to its supporters that it has been successful in its tactical operations and the victories it has gained throughout the conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson referred to the operation as "one of the most successful of the war so far" in the past, citing the gathered information and the number of people killed and captured.
Nevertheless, there are experts who believe that the second al-Shifa attack demonstrates that Israel's military plan for the war has vulnerabilities. They argue that this demonstrates the ease with which Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants were able to regroup after Israel withdrew its troops from northern Gaza and the urgent necessity of coming up with a compelling post-war strategy to manage the region. Further, they believe that this information demonstrates the urgency of the situation.
The Gaza health ministry made a plea for foreign assistance on Monday to start medical services at Nasser Hospital, located in the southern part of Gaza in the city of Khan Younis. Since the Israeli military took control of the largest hospital in southern Gaza in February, it has been incapable of providing medical care to patients.
The war started on October 7 when Hamas militants surged into southern Israel, murdering over 1,200 people and taking 253 captives, according to Israeli estimates. This event marked the beginning of the conflict. Around 130 hostages remain in captivity, with at least 34 presumed dead.
Since Israel initiated its military assault in Gaza, the Hamas-managed health ministry has reported over 32,800 Palestinian deaths and 75,000 injuries. The report states that women and children accounted for seventy percent of the deaths.
