The Israeli military (IDF) confirms that it has withdrawn from the Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip. They leave behind great destruction.
Published: 01/04/2024 10:24 | Updated: 01/04/2024 10:50
The hospital has been the scene of fierce fighting for two weeks. The IDF reports on Monday that it has killed a number of Palestinian militants and seized weapons and documents.
The forces are leaving behind great destruction, according to the health authorities in Gaza. They report having found over 20 dead in the area.
– Dozens of corpses, some of them rotting, have been found in and around the Shifa hospital, state the health authorities.
Claims hundreds have been killed
According to the health authorities, large parts of the hospital have been put out of action, and the soldiers are reported to have burned down buildings before leaving the site, something the IDF has not commented on. Photos from the scene show bombed-out buildings and Palestinians carrying corpses.
Israel claimed last week to have killed 200 terrorists on the spot. On Monday, the IDF described the operation as very successful.
– Soldiers have carried out precise operational activity in the Shifa hospital area and left the hospital, they report.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says 900 suspected militants have been arrested during the operation. According to him, Israeli soldiers have confiscated cash in various currencies worth over NOK 30 million.
He denies that civilians have been injured by Israeli fire. The soldiers evacuated most of the remaining patients and provided food and drink for the rest, according to Hagari.
Crushed by vehicle
Hundreds of Palestinians entered the hospital area on Monday morning. One of them, Mohammed Mahdi, describes above the news agency AP that the area is totally destroyed. He saw six dead.
According to a journalist, several of the buildings inside the hospital area have been destroyed, some of them by fire. Some dead are also said to have been crushed by vehicles.
Hamas has denied using the hospital as a base for its fighters. The IDF began the operation against the hospital on Monday 18 March, two weeks ago.
According to the UN, several patients have died as a result of the military operation, and several others have been in mortal danger. IDF spokesperson Hagari says that Hamas had established its headquarters in the north of the Gaza Strip inside the hospital complex. He places responsibility for the destruction on Hamas and says that militant Palestinians fired heavy fire at Israeli soldiers.
Nearly 33,000 Palestinians are said to have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since 7 October. On Monday morning, the IDF announced that 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the war broke out.
