Gaza's media office has confirmed that around 50 civilians, including children, were executed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in its recent attack on the Al-Shifa Hospital complex.
"The Israeli occupation committed a bloody massacre, executing 50 citizens and arresting nearly 200 others in the [Al-Shifa] Medical Complex and its surroundings in Gaza City," said the media office in a statement. "We also received field information about … a number of children among those executed, as well as civilians, the sick, and the displaced." (Related: 40 percent of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children.)
According to the Gaza media office, the assault, which began at around 2 a.m. on March 18, has claimed the lives of at least 250 Palestinians, almost all of whom are civilians. The deputy director of the emergency department at al-Shifa Hospital also disclosed that there were around 20 doctors and 60 nurses working there, along with hundreds of patients, when the assault began.
The IDF launched the attack in and around the hospital shortly after Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, disclosed details of a sniping operation that targeted and killed an officer from Israel's elite Shaldag Unit, the same unit that was allegedly involved in a previous devastating raid on the medical facility back in November.
Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes of chaos and fear within the hospital, where nearly 20,000 displaced individuals had sought refuge.
"Tanks are surrounding us. We are hiding inside the tent. We hear tank fire in the vicinity of the compound," said Mahmoud al-Saudi, a civilian, in a recorded call to his brother.
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Meanwhile, another man inside the hospital named Mohammed al-Sayyid said in a voice message sent to journalists: "The soldiers [are] here inside the complex, there are dead and wounded and the soldiers arrested some young men."
Medical teams reported being unable to treat the wounded due to ongoing gunfire from Israeli forces, who allegedly targeted anyone approaching the hospital windows.
"We are trapped where we are inside the department," said 31-year-old surgical resident Dr. Amer Jedbeh. "A shell hit our building on the first floor, injuring several people. One man died - we could not save him. We are working only with first aid, essentially, we cannot operate because there is no electricity or water."
IDF claims Al-Shifa operation only targeted Hamas
In a statement, IDF chief spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari argued that the operation was conducted following the acquisition of "concrete intelligence that demanded immediate action."
He claimed that the operation targeted senior Hamas members who were allegedly using the medical facility as a base to coordinate attacks against Israel.
"We know that senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside Al-Shifa Hospital and are using it to command attacks against Israel. We call upon all Hamas terrorists hiding in hospitals to surrender immediately. Medical facilities should never be exploited for terror. Hamas must be held accountable," he said.
To support its claim, the IDF released unverified footage supposedly showing Israeli soldiers under fire from within the hospital compound, along with the detonation of an explosive device.
Hamas and health officials have vehemently denied these accusations.
The IDF declared 20 twenty terrorists were eliminated at Al-Shifa during recent engagements in and around the hospital complex, including the head of Hamas' internal security service operations directorate, Faiq al-Mabhouh, who was allegedly hiding in the compound and coordinating terrorist activities.
Watch this video about innocent children in Gaza getting bombed by Israeli forces.
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