Fresh week, fresh war crimes
Footage shows Palestinians fleeing al-Shifa
Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification unit shows dozens of Palestinians fleeing Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces launched an operation in the area. Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues reported that Israeli forces opened fire inside the medical complex in northern Gaza City, causing deaths and injuries.
Earlier, we reported that the Israeli military announced conducting a “precise operation” at al-Shifa, claiming Hamas fighters had regrouped there.
الجيش الإسرائيلي يجبر مئات العائلات على النزوح من مجمع الشفاء الطبي غربي مدينة غزة #حرب_غزة #فيديو pic.twitter.com/yxK9KQi2my
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) March 18, 2024
Israeli drones firing at people living near al-Shifa: Report
Our Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues are reporting that Israeli drones are firing at “anyone who moves” in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, where the al-Shifa Hospital is located.
Israeli forces, who are carrying out a military operation on the medical facility, have instructed residents in Rimal to stay in their homes.
Fire breaks out at al-Shifa amid Israeli bombing: Report
A fire has broken out at a surgical building at the al-Shifa Hospital due to Israeli bombing, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Israeli forces there are also using loudspeakers to order hundreds of people sheltering at the hospital to evacuate, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. It said earlier that shots had been fired inside the complex, causing deaths and injuries.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said earlier that there would be “no obligation” for patients and medical staff to evacuate the hospital.
Gaza media office says Israeli troops, tanks, drones active at al-Shifa
Gaza’s media office has denounced the ongoing Israeli military operation at al-Shifa, the besieged enclave’s largest hospital, saying the attack amounts to a “war crime”. The office said in a statement that heavily armed Israeli troops, accompanied by drones and tanks, launched the offensive in the early hours of dawn on Monday and began shooting inside the complex, threatening the lives of thousands of people there.
The attack demonstrates Israel’s intent to destroy Gaza’s hospitals, it said, calling on the international community “to intervene immediately and urgently in order to curb the occupation and stop the war of extermination”.
Palestinians inspect al-Shifa Hospital which was raided by Israeli forces during its ground operation in Gaza City, November 25, 2023
‘This might be my last video’: Palestinian journalist describes ‘catastrophic’ situation at al-Shifa
A Palestinian journalist trapped inside al-Shifa Hospital has described the situation in the facility as “catastrophic” amid “intense clashes” and gunfire.
Wadea Abu Alsoud made the comments in a video posted to Instagram.
“This might be my last video,” he said. “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 are shrapnels falling over the hospital’s yard.”
He added: “We’re currently besieged. Pray for us to get out safely. These are clashes as you can hear… we don’t know what’s going on outside al-Shifa hospital, but the situation here is catastrophic.”
Gaza Health Ministry reports deaths, injuries at al-Shifa
In a message in English on Telegram, the ministry said the raid, which began at 2am local time (00:00 GMT) has resulted in a “number of martyrs and wounded”. It said there were Israeli vehicles inside the hospital’s courtyard and that Israeli forces launched missiles and opened fire at al-Shifa’s specialised surgery building.
