Al-Shifa hospital is the largest in Gaza and has often been a place of sanctuary in times of conflict. Since Israel began bombarding Gaza, doctors and other medical staff have been treating patients as electricity and medicines have become scarce. Meanwhile, thousands of displaced people have arrived, hoping the hospital would be safe from aerial attacks.
This week, as the generators ran out of fuel, Israeli soldiers laid siege to the hospital. They said Hamas had been using the hospital as cover – that it had a command centre underneath the compound, placed there to make it harder for Israel to attack it without endangering civilians. Hospital staff said they had to move patients’ beds away from the windows to protect them, and Ruth Michaelson said she spoke to doctors who said they were surviving on dates as food ran out.
Finally, on Wednesday, soldiers entered and began searching the compound. The international reaction to the raid has been one of dismay and shock. Yet Israel says it was necessary to root out Hamas. Michael Safi hears about what they found and what the ramifications of the raid may be.
Photograph: Israeli Army/AFP/Getty Images
Support The Guardian
The Guardian is editorially independent.
And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all.
But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work.