Israeli forces raid Gaza’s largest hospital amid escalating conflict
The Israeli military described the raid on Nasser Hospital as “precise and limited,” saying that it was based on intelligence suggesting that Hamas militants were using the hospital to hide and hold hostages.
Israeli forces conducted a raid on Thursday at Nasser Hospital, the largest functioning medical facility in Gaza. Footage from the scene depicted chaos, with shouting and gunfire echoing through dark corridors filled with dust and smoke.
The Israeli military described the raid on Nasser Hospital as “precise and limited,” saying that it was based on intelligence suggesting that Hamas militants were using the hospital to hide and hold hostages, possibly including the bodies of captives.
Hamas denied these allegations, labeling them as falsehoods.
Health authorities in Gaza, which is governed by Hamas, said that Israeli forces forcibly evacuated dozens of hospital staff, patients, displaced individuals, and families of medical personnel who had sought refuge in the facility. They said that approximately 2,000 Palestinians fled to the southern border city of Rafah overnight, while others moved northward to Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza.
The conflict erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched attacks into Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and the seizure of 253 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
Israel’s subsequent air and ground offensive has inflicted significant damage on the densely populated Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 28,663 people, primarily civilians, according to health authorities. The violence has also forced the displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents from their homes.
In a recent operation, the Israeli military reported conducting an airstrike that killed a Hamas commander responsible for the Oct. 7 attack. The commander was also accused of holding an Israeli soldier captive, who was subsequently executed by Hamas.
Separately, medical officials reported that an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed three Palestinians in a car. The identities of the victims were not immediately confirmed.
Israeli authorities announced the death of a soldier in southern Gaza, bringing the total Israeli military casualties since the ground incursions began on Oct. 20 to 235.
Medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) condemned the shelling of Nasser Hospital, saying that despite assurances from Israeli forces allowing medical staff and patients to remain, they were forced to flee, leaving patients behind. MSF also reported that one of its staff members was detained at an Israeli checkpoint established to screen individuals leaving the hospital compound.
The attack on Nasser Hospital occurred amid escalating international pressure on Israel to exercise restraint. Israeli forces have pledged to continue their offensive into Rafah, the last relatively safe area in Gaza.
The destruction of Gaza’s medical facilities has raised concerns, with reports of Israeli airstrikes targeting hospitals in other cities and the surrounding areas, as well as ambulances. Israel has accused Hamas of utilizing hospitals and other medical facilities for military purposes, citing footage allegedly showing tunnels containing weapons beneath some hospitals.
The Israeli military stated that various suspects were apprehended during the operation at Nasser Hospital, and operations there were ongoing.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed Israeli claims about Nasser Hospital as misinformation, similar to what he described as previous fabrications regarding other hospitals.
VIDEO DEPICTS CHAOS
Amidst reports of chaos and violence, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari described the operation at the hospital as “sensitive” and “precision-based,” conducted by IDF special forces trained for the task. He reiterated that one of the objectives was to ensure the hospital’s continued ability to treat patients.
Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra warned that the hospital would run out of fuel within the next 24 hours, endangering the lives of patients, including those in critical condition.
Hagari stated that Israel had facilitated the transfer of medical supplies and fuel to the hospital in coordination with international organizations.
Verified videos filmed inside Nasser Hospital showed scenes of panic and confusion, with individuals navigating through damaged corridors illuminated by phone lights. Gunfire could be heard in the background, prompting one doctor to shout for people to take cover. Witnesses described Israeli forces surrounding the hospital, preventing individuals from leaving safely.
Mohammad al Moghrabi, who had sought shelter in the hospital compound, recounted attempts by some to leave the area on Wednesday, only to be fired upon and forced to return. He described a subsequent attempt to evacuate, during which Israeli forces allegedly subjected them to verbal abuse and left them exposed to the sun for hours.
