Israeli forces declared they were conducting a "precise and targeted operation"
Thousands of civilians are seeking cover beneath Al-Shifa, and Israeli forces declared early on Wednesday that they were conducting a "precise and targeted operation" against the suspected Hamas command hub.
Israel's allegation that Hamas has buried an operational centre beneath the hospital was supported by US intelligence sources, according to the White House on Tuesday.
The Israel Defence Forces in a statement said they had "conveyed to the relevant authorities in Gaza once again that all military activities within the hospital must cease within 12 hours. Unfortunately, it did not." The Hamas operatives at the hospital were asked to surrender by IDF.
Along with calling for "less intrusive action relative to" Al-Shifa, Biden also urged that "the hospital must be protected."
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(Photo: AP)
Israel to permit fuel shipments for humanitarian operations in Gaza
According to Israeli defence authorities, fuel supplies for humanitarian purposes into the Gaza Strip have been approved.
This marks the first time since the deadly cross-border takeover by the militant Hamas group on October 7 that Israel has permitted fuel to enter the besieged area.
Following the attack, Israel declared war and stopped fuel imports, claiming that Hamas would utilise the petroleum for military purposes. However, because Gaza hospitals rely on generators for operation, fuel is essential, and the lack of it made it more difficult for the UN to provide humanitarian relief.
The Israeli defence agency in charge of handling Palestinian issues, COGAT, declared early on Wednesday that it would permit U.N. trucks to refuel at the Rafah crossing into Egypt later in the day.
The announcement stated that the action was taken in response to a US request. Other than stating that it is permitting the entry of 24,000 litres (6,240 gallons) of petroleum into Gaza, it provided no information regarding the delivery schedule for the shipments. The United Nations organisation for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, issued a warning late on Tuesday stating that it would soon have to cease operations due to the shortage of its fuel storage facility in Gaza.
Demonstrations at the Israeli parliament call for Netanyahu's resignation
Tuesday night, several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli parliament to call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation on the grounds that he is unfit to hold office. Protesters held placards accusing Netanyahu of being behind the attack on October 7 that claimed the lives of at least 1,200 people.
Protesters screamed, "Go, go, go!"
“Any moment that our prime minister is in his role is dangerous for the citizens, for the soldiers, and he needs to quit and let us win the war and reunite our people,” said a protester.
Hamas says Biden "wholly responsible" for assault on Gaza's largest hospital
On Wednesday, the Palestinian organisation Hamas accused US President Joe Biden of being "wholly responsible" for an Israeli army raid against the main hospital in Gaza.
"We hold the occupation (Israel) and President Biden wholly responsible for the assault on the Al-Shifa medical complex," Hamas said in a statement.
"The adoption by the White House and the Pentagon of the occupation's false claim that the resistance is using the Al-Shifa medical complex for military ends has given the green light to the occupation to commit more massacres against civilians."
Israeli Military enters Gaza's Biggest Hospital, 2300 trapped inside including newborns
According to statements made by both Israel and the US, Hamas militants have been utilising Gaza's hospitals as underground tunnels to conceal command centres and hostages.
As of Tuesday, 36 infants were being taken care of at the al-Shifa hospital, according to medical personnel there, who stated that despite an Israeli attempt to provide incubators for an evacuation, there was no apparent means to transfer them. Since the al-Shifa hospital ran out of fuel over the past few days to power the generators that had kept their incubators running, three premature newborns have already passed away.
(Photo: AFP)
At least 2,300 patients, staff members, and displaced citizens are estimated to be inside the hospital according to UN estimates, having been trapped there for days by intense battle and aerial bombardment.
There are Israeli tanks in the hospital compound, reported by the BBC and the Associated Press. The head of Gaza's hospitals, Mohammed Zaqout, told the AP that Israeli tanks had broken inside the al-Shifa medical centre.
"The forces stormed the buildings. The patients, including children, are terrified. They are screaming. It's a very terrifying situation … we can do nothing for the patients but pray."
(Photos: Reuters/ AFP)
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