The Israeli army is tightening its grip on central Gaza City and the al-Shifa hospital, which Israel claims is harboring a command center for Hamas fighters. This raises questions about how Israel will interpret international laws regarding the protection of medical facilities and the thousands of displaced persons who have sought refuge there. While Israel has not specified its potential plans for the hospital, it states that its top priority is to dismantle Hamas’s command infrastructure.
Israel claims that members of its engineering corps are using explosives to destroy tunnels in the extensive underground network of Hamas. Any Israeli attempt to take control of al-Shifa hospital, where a video obtained by Reuters this week showed paramedics rushing to treat injured individuals flooding the facility, would likely result in heavy civilian casualties and could provoke international condemnation.
Israel's declared goal is to eliminate Hamas, which it accuses of killing 1,400 people and abducting 240 others during its assault on October 7. Health authorities in the Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, report that Israeli bombardments have led to the deaths of over 10,800 Palestinians.
On Thursday, residents of Gaza City observed Israeli tanks about 1.2 kilometers away from al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical facility in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military spokesperson released images, graphs, and audio recordings claiming that Hamas is using al-Shifa as a cover for command sites and entry points to the extensive tunnel network beneath the area.
