Israel: At Least 170 Palestinian Militants Killed During Clashes at Shifa Hospital

On Saturday, April 4, Israel reported that at least 170 Palestinian militants had been killed in recent days amid ongoing clashes inside and around Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Hamas and Islamic Jihad claim their militants are fighting Israeli forces 'around' and 'outside' Shifa Hospital, denying their presence inside the hospital despite evidence released by the Israeli army. Clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants at Shifa Hospital began early last Monday with the entry of Israeli forces into the hospital. The Israeli army states that Shifa Hospital is connected to a network of underground tunnels used by Palestinian militants. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, claimed on Saturday that five wounded Palestinians inside the hospital died due to lack of access to healthcare, water, and food over the past six days, and the condition of other injured individuals is deteriorating. In contrast, the Israeli army, which has confirmed the deaths of two of its soldiers during the clashes around Shifa Hospital, claims it is preventing harm to civilians, patients, and medical staff, providing them with adequate food, water, and healthcare. Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza before the onset of the invasion, is now one of the few medical centers still operational in northern Gaza. According to the Israeli army, more than 358 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been arrested, and at least 800 individuals have been interrogated. Among those arrested are three senior Islamic Jihad commanders and several Hamas officials, including two operational heads in the West Bank. Israel also attacked Shifa Hospital late last November, discovering tunnels that they claimed were used as Hamas command and control centers. Despite evidence and documentation released by the Israeli army, Hamas denies using this hospital for military purposes or sheltering its militants. Following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the hostage-taking of over 250 others, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Islamist group supported by the Islamic Republic. This invasion has led to the displacement of the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million population, who are in urgent need of food and other essentials. Despite the devastating consequences of Hamas's terrorist attack, officials from this Islamist group have repeatedly emphasized that they will carry out similar attacks if possible. Hamas, without mentioning the number of its members killed as a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, claims that about 32,000 Palestinian residents of Gaza have been killed and around 73,000 others injured. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot independently verify or confirm the statistics provided by Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel has repeatedly emphasized that Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Israeli army states that 140 armed men were killed in the attack on Shifa Hospital, and claims that 20 armed Palestinian men were killed in its 'anti-terrorist' operation at Shifa Hospital. Guterres called for unlimited access for Gaza's civilians to humanitarian aid. Blinken in Tel Aviv warned about 'Israel's isolation in the world' and Netanyahu's indifference. Netanyahu, after meeting with Blinken, stated that if necessary, they would enter Rafah without U.S. support. The U.S. military continues to provide assistance to Gaza's civilians, sending over 50,000 food packages from the air on Thursday. European leaders have called for a 'sustainable ceasefire' in Gaza; Israel insists on controlling Rafah.