IDF Wrests Control Of Shifa Hospital, Arrests 80 Terrorists

The IDF on Monday morning published additional details about the overnight raid on Shifa Hospital, stating that at about 2:30 a.m., hundreds of IDF forces, Shin Bet operatives, and special forces officers with the support of armored vehicles and tanks raided the hospital and surrounded the complex.

When the Israeli forces arrived at the hospital, Hamas terrorists fired at them from several buildings in the complex [seen in the video below] and heavy gun battles ensued. According to Kan News, during the gun battle, the terrorists used patients as human shields. Several terrorists were killed in the exchanges of fire and an IDF soldier was lightly injured. On Monday at about noon, it was announced that an IDF soldier was killed in the battles at Shifa early Monday morning.

At about 8 a.m., the IDF announced that it had gained control of the hospital and arrested about 80 terror suspects. Additional terrorists are holed up inside the hospital and the IDF is calling on them to surrender.

Channel 12 reported that the IDF decided to carry out the raid after seeing a recent increase in terrorists arriving at the hospital. The terrorists sneaked in using ambulances, among other things, and disguised as women.

The operation was launched based on intelligence information that Hamas terrorists, including senior operatives, had arrived from the northern Gaza Strip to Shifa Hospital and were using the compound as a headquarters to conduct terrorism. Hamas is trying to rehabilitate itself in the north of the Gaza Strip, the IDF stated.

Videos of the raid were also published by Gazans near the area:

Meanwhile, as the raid continued, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson called on civilians living near Shifa Hospital and in the surrounding Rimal neighborhood to immediately evacuate the area to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.

The IDF also published a recording of the phone call of the conversation between the IDF and the head of the Health Ministry in Gaza, Dr. Youseff Abu Rish. The IDF spokesperson demanded an end to all terror activity inside the hospital and offered any humanitarian aid needed.