ISRAELI forces have launched an overnight raid on the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, with reports of tanks and heavy gunfire at the facility.
An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said the IDF was carrying out a “high precision operation in limited areas” of the hospital.
The IDF said “senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped” inside the hospital and are using it to launch attacks.
Eyewitnesses described a state of panic inside the complex in Gaza City.
In a recorded call with his brother posted on a WhatsApp group, one man said: “Tanks are surrounding us. We are hiding inside the tent. We hear tank fire in the vicinity of the compound.”
Heavy gunfire could be heard around the hospital in unverified footage posted on social media.
In a voice message sent to journalists from inside the hospital, Muhammad Al-Sayyid said: “The soldiers here inside the complex there are dead and wounded, and the soldiers arrested some young men. The situation here is catastrophic.”
The IDF had not publicly signalled in advance that it was planning to launch a new operation at al-Shifa.
A statement from Gaza health ministry called the operation a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”.
Hundreds of displaced Palestinians are sheltering at the hospital, which was raided by Israeli forces earlier in the conflict.
Prior to the conflict, al-Shifa hospital was the largest medical facility in Gaza.
