Enlarge image
Plumes of smoke above Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday
Photo: Dawoud Abu Alkas / REUTERS
Israel's army says it has carried out a massive strike against the terrorist organization Hamas at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Accordingly, over 500 suspects were arrested and hundreds of fighters were killed. "Those who did not surrender to our armed forces fought against our armed forces and were eliminated," said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
The prisoners also included 358 members of the radical Islamic groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. According to Hagari, both organizations were severely damaged and never since the outbreak of the war have so many prisoners been taken. In addition, three high-ranking Islamic Jihad commanders and several high-ranking Hamas officials were arrested, said Hagari.
There were initially no statements from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The terrorist organization and the medical staff at Al-Shifa deny that the hospital is also used for military purposes. Hamas spokesmen recently announced that those killed by Israel were civilian patients. Neither the Israeli army's nor Hamas's account can be independently verified.
Second major operation in the Schifa Clinic since November
The news of another large-scale operation by the Israeli military in the clinic in Gaza City at the beginning of the week had already come as a surprise: the army had entered the clinic for the second time since November. There was international criticism of the violent use. According to the Israeli army, there is a network of tunnels hidden under the hospital grounds that serve as a base for Palestinian fighters. After the first operation, the military released videos showing entrances to the underground system.
On Tuesday, Israel's army announced that "more than 50 terrorists were killed and around 180 suspects were arrested" during the operation. However, the numbers now published are significantly higher.
The fighting against the terrorist organization Hamas has recently been concentrated primarily in the south of the Gaza Strip. The army is currently planning an offensive on the southern city of Rafah, which is overcrowded with refugees and where, according to Israeli information, many Hamas members are said to be staying.
fek/Reuters