Israeli Army Withdraws from Gaza's Shifa Hospital After Two-Week Assault

The Associated Press reported, citing Palestinian residents, that the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza's largest hospital, Shifa, early Monday after a two-week raid, leaving behind several corpses and widespread destruction. The Israeli army described the raid on Shifa hospital as one of the most successful operations in the nearly six-month-long war in Gaza, claiming to have killed many Hamas fighters and other militants, including senior figures, and to have seized valuable weapons and intelligence. The Israeli army confirmed its withdrawal of forces on Monday. In this context, the UN health agency stated that several patients died during the assault, and dozens were at risk, leading to further destruction of a hospital that had largely ceased operations. According to the Associated Press, the difficult days of battle showed that Hamas can still resist even in one of the severely damaged areas of Gaza. Mohammad Mahdi, among hundreds of Palestinians who returned to the area, described a scene of 'complete destruction.' He reported several burned buildings and counted six corpses in the area, two of which were in the hospital yard. Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has attacked several medical centers. The Israeli army stated that it began the assault on Shifa hospital after Hamas and other militants had gathered there. Health officials affiliated with Hamas in Gaza denied these accusations. Critics accuse the Israeli army of recklessly endangering civilians and destroying the health sector, which was already filled with war casualties. Palestinians claim that Israeli soldiers forcibly evacuated homes near Shifa hospital in central Gaza, forcing hundreds of residents to march southward. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, wrote late Sunday on social media platform X that at least 21 patients have died since the start of the assault. He stated that over a hundred patients remain inside the premises, including four children and 28 patients in critical condition. He also mentioned that there are no diapers, urine bags, or water for cleaning wounds, and many patients suffer from infected wounds and dehydration. The Israeli army had previously attacked Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, in November, claiming that Hamas had a precise command and control center inside and beneath the hospital. They revealed a tunnel leading from beneath the hospital to several rooms, as well as weapons they claimed to have confiscated from within medical buildings. The new phase of the war in Gaza began on October 7 of last year when Hamas militants, supported by the Iranian government, invaded southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and taking around 250 hostages, including women, children, and the elderly. The withdrawal from Shifa hospital on Monday coincided with tens of thousands of Israelis gathering in central Jerusalem for the largest anti-government protest since the war began in October. Deep divisions over Netanyahu's leadership, which had escalated long before the war, still enjoy strong public support. Netanyahu stated before departing for the hospital: Israel is ready for operations in Rafah and the evacuation of civilians. Gallant: Captured Hamas forces say the group is collapsing from within. The Israeli army claims to have found weapons in 'the pillows and beds of the maternity ward of Shifa hospital.' Israel stated it attacked the 'command center of Islamic Jihad' in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa hospital. An Israeli media outlet reported that the U.S. proposed an alternative to 'Israel's ground attack on Rafah.'