Israel’s army has claimed Hamas operates at al-Shifa, which the armed group and hospital officers have denied.
Israel has attacked three hospitals in Gaza, together with the enclave’s greatest medical advanced, leading to what look like a number of casualties, the Well being Ministry within the Hamas-governed enclave has stated.
Israel’s army struck a yard on the al-Shifa Hospital advanced, the place 1000’s of displaced Palestinians are sheltering, Well being Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra stated on Friday.
“Israel is now enterprise these harmful steps in opposition to the hospitals to place them utterly out of fee and subsequently displace the individuals sheltering in them, in addition to the sufferers and medics,” al-Qudra informed Al Jazeera.
Israel’s army has stated that Hamas operates a command centre on the website of the hospital, together with entrances to its intensive tunnel community, which Hamas and hospital officers have denied.
Israeli officers didn’t instantly touch upon reviews of the most recent strikes.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director basic of al-Shifa Hospital, stated the strike hit civilians positioned subsequent to a lot of journalists within the yard, wounding 4, together with two critically.
“This led to numerous casualties, together with important accidents. It may have been a bloodbath on this place due to the variety of individuals on this advanced,” Abu Salmiya informed Al Jazeera.
“Earlier than that, they bombed a constructing very near the hospital. And now, there are heavy clashes and heavy bombing subsequent to the hospital.”
Abu Salmiya stated that medics and sufferers have been in a state of concern because of near-constant explosions close to the power.
“Not a second goes by with out bombing near the hospital. Most of the hospital’s home windows have been damaged, and there may be concern and nervousness amongst the medics and the sufferers and the displaced individuals,” he stated.
“It is a battle in opposition to the hospitals and a battle in opposition to all of the [Palestinian] residents.”
Video of the obvious aftermath of the assault confirmed a number of individuals screaming and scrambling for canopy, and an injured man mendacity on the pavement in a pool of blood.
Al-Qudra stated that two youngsters’s hospitals, Al-Rantisi and Al-Nasr, had additionally been hit by “direct assaults and bombardments” on Friday.
Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch’s Israel and Palestine director, stated on social media that medical amenities have to be protected and that “no space is a free-fire zone”.
The assault on al-Shifa is the most recent in a sequence of reported strikes on or close to the Gaza Metropolis hospital in latest days.
Final week, Israel’s army bombed an ambulance outdoors the hospital, killing 15 individuals, in response to Palestinian officers.
On Monday, Al Jazeera and Palestinian media reported that Israeli forces had struck photo voltaic panels offering electrical energy to the medical advanced, prompting denials by Israeli officers.
Israeli army officers have launched footage, illustrated maps and audio recordings that they are saying present that Hamas is utilizing the power to plan operations and conceal its fighters.
“Hamas terrorists function inside and underneath [al-Shifa] Hospital and different hospitals in Gaza,” spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated final month.
Hamas, well being authorities and al-Shifa Hospital officers have denied that the armed group is hiding in or underneath the advanced.
Israel’s army has repeatedly ordered the hospital to evacuate in latest weeks, drawing condemnation from humanitarian teams that say medical amenities have to be spared from preventing.
