Israeli soldiers are conducting search operations, room by room and corridor by corridor, interrogating doctors and medical staff individually within the hospital's surgical and emergency buildings.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, the general director of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, revealed in an interview with Al Jazeera that Israeli forces entered the basement of al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday. The regime's military also penetrated the surgical and emergency buildings within the hospital complex. Al-Bursh emphasized that no shots were fired from inside the hospital during the occupation forces' incursion.
The Israeli army alleges that al-Shifa Hospital is being exploited by Hamas's leadership or members for their operations, although no concrete evidence has been presented to substantiate these claims.
Electronic checkpoints have been established at multiple entrances to the hospital's main buildings. The Israeli military is summoning individuals inside—medical teams, patients, and the injured—to pass through these gates for official interrogation.
With hundreds of people still inside the hospital, concerns rise for the safety of the most vulnerable. There is no guarantee of their security amidst the ongoing attacks.
Israel's assault on al-Shifa began shortly after a White House spokesperson, without providing evidence, asserted that Washington has "information" indicating Hamas is using Gaza hospitals.
Dr. Ahmed El Mokhallati, a surgeon at al-Shifa, described the atmosphere within the hospital as one of fear during the Israeli forces' attack. Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra stated that only doctors, patients, and displaced individuals are inside al-Shifa Hospital. He emphasized there is nothing to fear or hide.
Al-Qudra reported that dozens of Israeli soldiers entered the hospital's emergency department building, with tanks surrounding the medical complex. According to medical staff, around 650 patients remain in the hospital, with 5,000 to 7,000 displaced civilians trapped within the hospital grounds, facing continuous fire from Israeli snipers and drones, according to the Gaza health ministry.