The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that it had killed 170 terrorists and arrested 480 more during operations at Shifa Hospital over the past week, as Israeli forces surrounded another two hospitals in Gaza.
The IDF said that it had detained roughly 800 people at Shifa Hospital, meaning that more than half of them were members of terror organizations.
In a statement, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said:
The IDF and ISA are continuing to conduct precise operational activity in the Shifa Hospital area while preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment. IDF troops apprehended approximately 480 terrorists affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations, and have located weapons and terrorist infrastructure in the hospital.
Over the past day, IAF fighter jets struck approximately 65 targets in northern and central Gaza, including a terror tunnel used to carry out attacks, military compounds where armed terrorists operated, and additional military infrastructure.
In the area of Beit Hanoun, an aircraft struck a military compound which posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.
In the central Gaza Strip, IDF troops eliminated a number of terrorists over the past day. The troops identified and eliminated two terrorists in their area using sniper fire. The troops also located and conducted a targeted raid on a drone manufacturing laboratory belonging to terrorist organizations. The troops encountered terrorists outside of the compound and eliminated them.
In southern Gaza, IDF troops eliminated a number of terrorists by sniper fire. IDF engineering forces located and struck a launching pit and an aircraft struck terrorist infrastructure based on the direction of the troops.
In Khan Yunis, IAF aircraft struck terrorist infrastructure that was used as a gathering point for numerous terrorists who were operating in the compound at the time of the strike.
CNN reported Sunday, citing the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (the local equivalent of the Red Cross), that the IDF had surrounded both the Al-Amal Hospital and Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.
Israel has previously noted that Palestinian terrorists have used hospitals in Gaza to hide terrorists, weapons, and hostages, as well as to establish underground command posts and tunnel networks.
The use of hospitals for military purposes is a violation of international humanitarian law, and means that those hospitals cannot claim protection from attack.
Israel has tried to protect actual doctors and patients while fighting terrorists.
