Watan-The Israeli occupation army carried out its threat to storm the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which houses hundreds of wounded, patients, and malnourished children, as well as thousands of displaced individuals and medical staff.
The incursion by the occupation forces into the Al-Shifa Medical Complex followed days of siege, involving tanks, fuel and electricity cuts, resulting in the tragic loss of lives, including several critically ill patients and malnourished children.
Munir al-Bursh, the General Director of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that the occupation forces entered the Al-Shifa hospital and have successfully infiltrated parts of the complex.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Zaqout, the General Director of Hospitals in Gaza, expressed that the Israeli army believed that their entry into the Al-Shifa complex would be a triumph for them, but they found no evidence of resistance forces inside.
Zaqout, in media statements, added, “The Israeli army entered the emergency department of the Al-Shifa complex and searched the hospital’s basement.”
He clarified that not a single shot was fired from within the hospital during the occupation forces’ incursion, and that the forces entered the surgery and emergency buildings, conducting a search of the hospital’s basement.
Zaqout emphasized that the occupation forces opened fire on those who exited the corridor declared as a safe route out of the Al-Shifa complex.
Israeli Preparations for the Evacuation of the Complex
“In a testimony to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, an eyewitness reported that the Israeli army is instructing all individuals present in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex to gather in the center of its eastern courtyard in preparation for the evacuation process.
The witness added that the occupation forces have installed facial recognition cameras and electronic gates to subject everyone in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex to scrutiny before their evacuation.
شاهد عيان لـ"العربي الجديد":
🔴جيش الاحتلال يطلب من جميع المتواجدين في مجمع الشفاء الطبي التجمع بوسط ساحته الشرقية تمهيداً لعملية إخلاء المجمع🔴جيش الاحتلال وضع كاميرات تعرّف على الوجه وبوابات إلكترونية لإخضاع جميع منْ في مجمع الشفاء الطبي للفحص قبيل إخلائهم pic.twitter.com/f1U1aH7gZo
— العربي الجديد (@alaraby_ar) November 15, 2023
Gunfire Erupts in Al-Shifa Complex
While Israeli forces conducted a thorough inspection, Al-Bursh, present in the complex, confirmed hearing gunfire and observing movement of Israeli tanks inside the Al-Shifa Medical Complex.
Occupation Alleges Operation Against Hamas
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation army claimed to be executing what it termed a precise operation against the Hamas movement in a specific area within the Al-Shifa hospital, based on intelligence information.
Reuters reported the Israeli authorities stating that the operation in Al-Shifa hospital relies on intelligence and operational necessity.
Hamas Responds to the Incursion into Al-Shifa Complex
In response to the Israeli army’s incursion into the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, the Hamas movement squarely placed the blame on U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration for the full repercussions of the invasion.
The movement stated in a release, ‘We hold the occupying entity and its new Nazi-like leaders, as well as President Biden and his administration, fully responsible for the repercussions of the Israeli army’s incursion into the Al-Shifa Medical Complex and the suffering inflicted upon the medical staff and thousands of displaced individuals due to this monstrous crime.’
Anticipated Israeli Massacres
Hamas indicated that the incursion aims to commit further massacres against civilians, coercing them to evacuate from the north to the south, in line with the occupation’s plan to displace the Palestinian people, as voiced by several ministers of the occupying entity.
Hamas clarified that Washington’s accusations of using hospitals in the Gaza Strip for military purposes are mere lies, serving as an American green light for Israel to commit more heinous massacres against hospitals.
Hamas Pledges to Continue Confrontation
Hamas has vowed to strongly continue confronting the Israeli army, stating, ‘The occupation will pay a high price for its crimes and attacks against our children, women, and sanctities. Gaza was and will remain a graveyard for invaders, and tomorrow is indeed near. It is a struggle… victory or martyrdom.’
U.S. Comment on the Incursion into Al-Shifa Complex
In response to the Israeli army’s incursion into the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in the northern Gaza Strip, the United States expressed its rejection of hospital bombings. A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council stated, ‘Hospitals and patients must be protected.’
The spokesperson added, ‘We do not endorse aerial bombings of hospitals, and we do not want to see an exchange of gunfire occurring inside a hospital where there are innocent people and helpless individuals seeking the healthcare they deserve, finding themselves caught in the line of fire.’
At the same time, the U.S. refused to delve into the details of the ongoing Israeli military operations, saying, ‘We will not comment in detail on the current Israeli military operation.
Israeli-American Allegations Regarding Al-Shifa Complex
Leading up to the incursion, Israel and the United States continued to propagate claims about the Palestinian resistance’s alleged use of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex and other hospitals for military purposes.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby claimed that the Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements were using a command and control center based on the Al-Shifa hospital.