The Israeli army announced on Friday that the central leadership of Hamas is located beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza, indicating a potential imminent strike on one of the most active hospitals in the sector, considering its sections and facilities. Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed that "there is fuel in the hospitals in Gaza and Hamas uses it for its infrastructure." He stated in a press conference from Tel Aviv that "there are tunnels beneath Shifa Hospital used by Hamas as a protective shield," pointing out that "Hamas steals fuel from UNRWA and uses the available fuel in hospitals for destruction."
Hagari alleged that "the central leadership of Hamas is beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza." Hamas responded, stating that "Israel's claims about us using Shifa Hospital for military purposes are false allegations that we completely deny." Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem, in a statement to Al Jazeera, described these claims as misleading and false, asserting that "all Hamas leaders are in their homes and not in hospitals," and emphasized that "the occupation kills children and women indiscriminately while the resistance continues to conduct the battle forcefully." He noted that "the occupation is destroying infrastructure in Gaza, primarily homes and hospitals."
In response to Israel's threat to target Shifa Hospital in Gaza, the United Nations warned that "any attack on health facilities would be a violation of international humanitarian law."
**History of the Hospital**
Shifa Medical Complex is a government medical complex and the largest healthcare institution in the Gaza Strip. It includes three specialized hospitals: a surgery hospital, an internal medicine hospital, and a maternity and childbirth hospital, with a total bed capacity of 564. The land and building are government property belonging to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The complex is located in the western central area of Gaza City at the intersection of Az-Zahra'a Street with Al-Wahda Street, one of the main streets in the governorate, which witnesses some traffic congestion during the day, surrounded by three side streets.
**Foundation**
Shifa Hospital was established in 1946 on an area of 42,000 square meters, with an existing building area of 15,235 square meters. The complex consists of several buildings, some of which have multiple floors. It serves specifically the Gaza governorate, which had a population of approximately 534,558 in 2010, as well as the Gaza Strip in general. In 2010, the total number of staff across all specialties at the complex was 1,440. Inside the hospital, there is a parking lot with about 120 parking spaces for employees and the general public, and there are two ambulances. Green spaces are present within the hospital. It is located in the western part of Gaza City and has four main internal departments: internal medicine for men and women, general surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics and nursery, and emergency services, along with an intensive care unit. The hospital is equipped with three operating rooms, and besides general surgery, it includes orthopedic surgery, urology, and ENT.
On October 9, during the third day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Israeli army aircraft targeted the vicinity of Shifa Medical Complex, resulting in damage to the neonatal care section.
