The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that it is conducting a “precise operation” at the medical facility.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health announced about 30,000 people, including displaced civilians, wounded patients and medical staff are trapped inside the complex.
Israel, which wound down many of its operations in northern Gaza some weeks ago claiming to have destroyed Hamas’s military infrastructure, added in the statement that Hamas – which governs the enclave – has “regrouped” inside al-Shifa and is “using it to command attacks against Israel”.
In a message in English on Telegram, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said anyone “who tries to move is targeted by sniper bullets and quadcopter”. It added that the raid, which began at 2am (00:00 GMT), has resulted in a “number of martyrs and wounded”.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari stated in a video posted earlier on X that the Israeli military would be conducting a “humanitarian effort” during the assault, providing food and water. He also insisted that there is “no obligation” for patients and medical staff to evacuate the hospital.
However, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents on the ground reported that Israeli troops used loudspeakers to order hundreds of people sheltering at the hospital to evacuate.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification unit shows dozens of Palestinians fleeing the hospital as Israeli forces launched operations in the area.
Palestinian journalist Wadea Abu Alsoud, trapped inside the medical complex, described the situation in the facility as “catastrophic” and reported “intense clashes”, in a video posted to Instagram.
“This might be my last video,” he stated.
“We’re now besieged inside al-Shifa Hospital. We’re being heavily shot at. The occupation suddenly raided the hospital and its vicinity. As you can hear now, there are intense clashes in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital. We’re hearing sounds coming from the gate. There is shrapnel falling over the hospital’s yard.”
The Government Media Office in Gaza condemned the operation, calling the attack a “war crime”.
“The Israeli occupation is still using its fabricated narratives to deceive the world and justify the storming of al-Shifa,” it announced in a statement.
The Health Ministry said it had received calls from people in the area around the hospital claiming there were dozens of casualties.
“No one could transport them to the hospital due to the intensity of gunfire and artillery shelling,” the ministry added.
According to the UN, 155 health facilities in the Gaza Strip have been damaged since the war began.
