Israel’s raid on Gaza’s al Shifa hospital has sparked international condemnation after it was reported that weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas were discovered on the premises. The United Nations and several Middle Eastern countries have criticized Israel’s actions, particularly due to the hospital’s role in providing care to thousands of people, including newborns. Here are 10 updates on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict:
1. Israeli troops entered the al Shifa hospital on Wednesday and conducted an extensive search. The Israeli army released a video showing the recovery of automatic weapons, grenades, ammunition, and flak jackets from the hospital complex.
2. Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, stated on the army’s Telegram channel that a targeted operation was conducted at Shifa Hospital, and the troops continue to advance.
3. Israel has accused Hamas of using the hospital’s underground tunnel network as a command center, a claim supported by US intelligence but denied by Hamas. However, the Israeli Defense Forces did not report finding any tunnel entrances during their search at al Shifa.
4. The Palestinian health ministry revealed that Israel has deployed bulldozers around the hospital.
5. According to the United Nations, the hospital currently houses approximately 2,300 patients, staff, and displaced civilians, including 36 newborns. Tragically, three premature babies died last week when the hospital ran out of fuel to power the incubators.
6. The director of al Shifa hospital reported that water, electricity, and oxygen supply to all departments were cut off as Israeli troops entered the premises.
7. The international community has expressed growing concern over Israel’s targeting of civilians in Gaza, especially following the news of the raid on the hospital. UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths emphasized the need to prioritize the protection of newborns, patients, medical staff, and all civilians, stating that hospitals should not be battlegrounds.
8. Qatar has called for an urgent international investigation, involving the United Nations, into Israel’s targeting of hospitals.
9. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an offensive against Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza, after a terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7. Israel claims that 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage in what was the deadliest day in its history.
10. In response, Israel has placed a siege on Gaza, home to a population of 2.3 million, and carried out aerial bombings. Gaza health officials, who are considered reliable by the United Nations, estimate that around 11,500 Palestinians, including 40% children, have been killed, with many more still buried under the rubble.
The situation continues to unfold, with global attention focused on the conflict and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered.
