Israeli forces have launched a nighttime assault on al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, with tanks and heavy gunfire reported, the BBC reports.

An Israel Defense Forces official said the IDF was conducting a “high-precision operation in restricted areas” of the hospital.

The Israel Defense Forces said that “high-ranking Hamas terrorists have regrouped” at the hospital and are using it for attacks.

Eyewitnesses described the state of panic inside the compound in Gaza City.

In a taped conversation with his brother posted on a WhatsApp group, one man said: “We are surrounded by tanks. We hide inside the tent. We hear tank fire near the complex.”

In unverified footage posted on social media, heavy gunfire could be heard around the hospital.

In an audio message sent to reporters from the hospital, Muhammad Al-Said said: “Soldiers are here inside the compound, there are dead and wounded, and the soldiers have arrested some young people. The situation here is catastrophic.”

The Israel Defense Forces did not announce in advance that it planned to launch a new operation in Al-Shifa.

In a video message released early this morning, the IDF’s chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said the Israeli military responded to “specific information that requires immediate action.”

He said the hospital would be able to continue operating during the assault and told patients and staff not to evacuate.

Displaced persons in the compound will be able to leave the hospital by evacuation before demanding an “immediate surrender” from Hamas, he said.

A statement from the Hamas-led Gaza health ministry said the operation was a “gross violation of international humanitarian law.”

Hundreds of displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in a hospital that was attacked by Israeli forces at the start of the conflict. Before the conflict, Al Shifa Hospital was the largest medical facility in Gaza.

Under international humanitarian law, hospitals enjoy protected status in times of war, but can lose that protection under certain circumstances if they are used to commit “acts injurious to the enemy”.

Israel has long accused Hamas of using medical facilities as cover for its operations, which the Iran-backed militant group denies.

(news.ro)