The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said Israeli Defense Force (IDF) troops have withdrawn from Shifa Hospital in Gaza, two weeks after the troops launched a second raid on the medical center.
IDF confirmed those reports Monday morning to Fox News.
“IDF and ISA troops have completed precise operational activity in the area of the Shifa Hospital and exited the area of the hospital,” IDF said. “The troops killed terrorists in close-quarters encounters, located numerous weapons and intelligence documents throughout the hospital, while preventing harm to civilians, patients, and medical teams.”
Eyewitnesses told The Times of Israel that troops withdrew under the cover of airstrikes and artillery fire.
“Over the past day, IAF aircraft killed terrorists who posed an immediate threat to IDF troops, including a sniper who posed a threat to the troops who was struck and killed by an IDF helicopter,” the IDF told Fox News.
“In Khan Yunis, IDF Commando troops are operating in the area of Al-Amal. The troops killed terrorists in close-quarters encounters, conducted targeted raids on terrorist infrastructure in the area, and apprehended a number of terrorists. During searches, the troops located many weapons, including explosive devices.”
The IDF’s military operation was launched on March 18 in what it described as a “precise” raid to target terror leaders and infrastructure.
The military has said more than 500 members of terror groups have been captured and roughly 200 have been killed, including several top commanders, throughout the operation at the medical center. More than 900 suspects were detained for questioning and more than 6,000 civilians were evacuated from the compound amid the operation, Israeli army radio GLZ Rado reported.
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Smoke rises during an Israeli strike in the vicinity of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on March 28, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (AFP / Getty Images)
Around 350 patients and medical staff at Shifa Hospital were evacuated by the IDF to a “designated compound” in another part of the complex where they were offered humanitarian aid and supplies, according to The Times of Israel.
A spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense tweeted that about 300 people were killed at the medical center by the IDF, including some while handcuffed.
Shifa had been one of the few medical facilities that was even partially operational in northern Gaza before the latest fighting.
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Ambulances carrying victims of Israeli strikes crowd the entrance to the emergency ward of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 15, 2023. (Photo by Dawood NEMER / AFP via Getty Images)
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The hospital had also been housing civilians displaced from their homes amid the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists.
International law states that a medical facility is a protected site in conflict, but loses that status if it is used for military activity.
Israeli officials have said Hamas uses these facilities as cover for terror operations and that the group takes humanitarian supplies for its fighters, which deprives civilians of aid.
Fox News’ Yael Kuriel contributed to this story.
