10:29 pm ET, November 14, 2023
What do we know about Israel’s attack on Al-Shifa hospital?
From CNN’s Jesse Yeung
Israeli army said Conducts raids Inside Gaza’s largest hospital, Hamas is targeting militants it says is operating under construction — a claim the militant group and hospital officials deny.
Thousands of Palestinians are believed to be taking refuge in and around the hospital, where conditions have deteriorated rapidly as doctors work by candlelight and wrap premature babies in foil. To keep them alive.
Here’s what we know so far:
Testing: Early Wednesday morning local time, the Israeli military said it was “conducting a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specific area at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza.”
According to the statement, Israel believes it has given Hamas operatives enough time to stop their alleged actions inside the building.
The U.S. cited intelligence on Tuesday that Hamas has a command node under the hospital, which appears to support Israel’s assertion. CNN cannot independently verify US or Israeli claims.
Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner told CNN that the presence of civilians at the hospital makes ground forces there “challenging.” He said Israeli forces were trying to “mitigate” the attack, citing medics and Arabic speakers among those involved in the raid.
What happens on the field: Khaled Abu Samra, a doctor at the hospital, told CNN they were alerted 30 minutes before the Israeli operation began on the compound.
“We have been asked to stay away from windows and balconies. We are asking for armored vehicles, which are very close to the entrance to the compound,” he said.
Journalist Qader Al Zanoon inside the hospital. told CNN Israeli tanks moved into the hospital compound, and exchanges of gunfire took place across the courtyard. It was unclear if IDF soldiers were inside the hospital buildings, Al Za’anoun said.
Palestinian officials said: Palestinian Health Minister Dr Mai al-Qaila said on Wednesday the test represented “a new crime against humanity, medical staff and patients”.
This could have “disastrous consequences” for patients and medical staff, he said. His health ministry is based in Ramallah and falls under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA) — and is separate from the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza.
Hamas blamed both Israel and the United States for the attack. Center.
The report also accused the UN of failing to protect the Palestinians: “The silence of the United Nations and the betrayal of many countries and regimes will not prevent our Palestinian people from clinging to their land and their legitimate national rights.”
