Israeli soldiers entered Gaza’s biggest hospital, al-Shifa, late on Tuesday night in what the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) described as a “precise and targeted operation”. Five Hamas militants were killed in exchanges of fire outside the hospital during the raid.
Israeli troops searched the hospital’s rooms and basement, witnesses said, in pursuit of Palestinian militants in a move that has stoked global alarm at the fate of thousands of civilians trapped inside.
The assumption in Israel was that intelligence had been received that Hamas militants were holding hostages in the large medical compound, but that the captives had been transferred well ahead of the Israeli raid which came as no surprise.
Israel said weapons were found in the hospital, although Hamas denies this.
Israel claims that the Hamas military wing has for years operated a control and command centre under the hospital, an assertion backed by Washington but denied by Hamas and hospital officials.
“We can confirm that incubators, baby food and medical supplies brought by IDF tanks from Israel have successfully reached the Shifa hospital,” the military said in an announcement on Wednesday. “Our medical teams and Arabic-speaking soldiers are on the ground to ensure that these supplies reach those in need.”
The Palestinian Authority condemned what it called the invasion by Israeli occupation forces of the Shifa hospital, terming it a blatant violation of international law.
The World Health Organisation said it had lost touch with health personnel at the hospital.
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said he was “appalled” by reports of the raids. “The protection of newborns, patients, medical staff and all civilians must override all other concerns,” he said. “Hospitals are not battlegrounds.”
The United Nations security council voted to adopt a draft resolution from Malta calling for a humanitarian pause in fighting in Gaza, and greater efforts to allow humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged territory.
Twelve nations voted for the resolution, with three abstentions, including the US and UK.
With no votes against, security council president Zhang Jun announced the resolution had passed.
Israeli forces on Wednesday day blew up the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza city, captured earlier this week.
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu hinted that the war would be extended to other areas of Gaza. “There is no place in Gaza we cannot reach,” he told troops on Wednesday. “There are no hideouts. This is no shelter or refuge for the Hamas murderers.”
More than 11,200 people have been killed in Gaza, including more than 4,500 children.
[ Twenty-three Irish departing Gaza after opening of Rafah crossing into EgyptOpens in new window ]
The United Nations refugee agency, UNRWA, said it received about 23,000 liters of fuel from Egypt, although Israel has restricted its use to solely transporting aid from the Rafah crossing.
The fuel delivery was the first since the start of the war on October 7th when Hamas gunmen infiltrated into Israel, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians.
The move came despite an earlier promise from Mr Netanyahu that Israel would not allow fuel deliveries, claiming the supplies would reach Hamas, which needs fuel to ventilate and provide electricity for its vast tunnel network.
The delivery was criticised by some Israeli politicians. “Fuel to UNRWA is fuel to Hamas,” tweeted transport minister Miri Regev, from Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party.
“Humanitarian aid must be delivered based upon need – not based upon conditions set by parties to a conflict,” said UNRWA director Thomas White.
As the fighting raged on the ground, contacts continued in an effort to clinch a deal to release some of the 239 hostages held in Gaza, including Irish citizen Emily Hand, who turns nine on Friday.
Negotiations, which are being mediated with the help of Qatar and the US, reportedly involve the proposed release of about 50 civilian hostages, including all of the children and their mothers, in exchange for a five-day ceasefire. Some Palestinian women and children would also be released from Israeli detention and Israel would allow more humanitarian aid in to Gaza.
However, contacts are ongoing and Israel reportedly wants more hostages released before it agrees to a temporary truce, as it is concerned that its forces will lose the momentum of the military advance. – Additional reporting Guardian
