The Israeli military raided the largest hospital in Gaza again on Monday, claiming that Hamas militants have regrouped there.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the military was launching a “high precision operation in limited areas” of Shifa Hospital on Monday. He said Hamas militants were using the hospital to “command attacks against Israel” and described the IDF’s operation as a “global imperative.”
“We seek no harm to the civilians that Hamas is hiding behind, which is why we will conduct this operation with caution and care while ensuring that the hospital continues its important functions,” he said in a video message.
The Gaza Health Ministry said about 30,000 people are sheltering at the hospital, including patients, staff and those who fled their homes to seek safety, The Associated Press reported. The IDF said later on Monday that it killed Faiq Mabhouh, who they said was the head of the Operations Directorate of Hamas’ Internal Security.
“Mabhouh was hiding in a compound at the Shifa hospital, from which he operated and advanced terrorist activity,” the IDF wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The raid on the largest hospital on Gaza comes as a United Nations food agency warned of “imminent” famine in northern Gaza. More than a million civilians have been displaced due to the war while the Gaza Health Ministry has reported that at least 31,645 Palestinians have been killed.
Israel had previously raided the hospital in November, saying that it was a major base of operations for Hamas. Israel said at the time that it uncovered weapons and military capabilities inside of Gaza’s largest hospital.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the militants launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in about 240 being captured as hostages. Humanitarian organizations and the U.S. have expressed concerns over Israel’s operations in Gaza, citing the the lack of humanitarian aid in the region.
