Hamas is holding civilians, including medical staff, as human shields in Gaza’s Shifa Hospital while simultaneously targeting the medical institution, Israeli military officials reported on Sunday and Monday.
Reportedly, Hamas fired mortars at the hospital on Sunday.
During his Sunday evening public address, IDF spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari stated, “Terrorists hiding around the hospital fired mortars at our forces, causing extensive damage to the hospital buildings. I repeat: Hamas is firing mortars at the Shifa hospital.”
Shortly after midnight on Monday, Hamas admitted on its Telegram channel that it had fired mortar shells at IDF troops in the vicinity of Shifa Hospital.
“Al-Qassam Brigades, in conjunction with the al-Quds Brigades, are attacking enemy forces penetrating the vicinity of al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City with mortar shells,” Hamas wrote.
Hagari added that the Gaza-based Islamist terror organization was destroying the hospital and had caused “extensive damage” to hospital infrastructure as it attempted to target IDF troops operating in the area.
According to the IDF spokesperson, one such attack had resulted in the hospital’s generator failing, after which Israeli forces helped to return electricity to the building.
Despite the damage caused to the hospital, Hagari stated that the thus-far six-day IDF operation in the area of Shifa Hospital, which has resulted in the elimination of 170 terrorists and the arrest of hundreds of others, has been one of the most successful since the start of the war.
More proof that Hamas uses human shields
“Our operation at Shifa Hospital proves once again: Hamas systematically uses hospitals to wage war and consistently uses the people of Gaza as human shields,” Hagari concluded.
The following morning, Maariv, citing estimates from IDF sources, reported that terrorists within the Shifa Hospital complex were likely holding civilians and medical staff as human shields.
In response, Israeli forces have reportedly escalated pressure on the hospital compound, urging those hiding within to come out to turn themselves in.
Maariv added that loud explosions were reportedly heard in the area.
Also, on Monday morning, the IDF published an update on the Israeli military's activities in Shifa Hospital and the Al Amal area.
According to the report, the IDF has arrested 500 terrorists in the area with affiliations to either Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The IDF troops also recovered weapons in the area.
Separately, over the past day, during a sniper ambush on terrorist elements in central Gaza, IDF troops identified a terrorist entering and exiting a tunnel shaft nearby. An air strike immediately eliminated the terrorist.
The terrorist was among 20 reportedly killed by the IDF over the last day in either close-quarters combat confrontations or air strikes.
Additionally, over the same span, the Israeli air force struck around 50 targets throughout Gaza.