Attack Al Shifa Hospital And Arrest Hundreds Of Militants, IDF: Those Who Fight Ended

IDF troops around Al Shifa Hospital, Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israeli forces have detained hundreds of Hamas militants and Islamic Jihad, including a number of security officials and military commanders, during a widespread raid on Gaza's main hospital, an Israeli spokesman for Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Israeli troops entered Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza on Monday morning. Then they immediately combed the hospital complex, which the military said connected to a network of tunnels used as the headquarters of Palestinian fighters.

It said Israeli soldiers had killed hundreds of militants and detained more than 500 suspects, including 358 members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the largest number since the start of the war nearly six months ago.

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Yahwi said special forces units had used "fraud tactics" to surprise the fighters, a move that was considered to damage Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Among the detainees, there are three senior commanders of the Islamic Jihad military and two Hamas officials in charge of operations in the occupied West Bank, as well as other Hamas internal security officials.

"Those who do not surrender to our troops, fight against our troops, are killed," Laksda Badminton said in Thursday night's taklimat.

Meanwhile, so far there has been no immediate comment from Hamas or Islamic Jihad regarding claims of arresting its members by the Israeli military.

Al Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip before the war, is now one of the few health facilities that only operate parts in the northern part of the region.

In addition to providing health services, the hospital also accommodates civilians who have lost their homes.

Israel drew strong criticism last November when their army first raided the hospital. Troops found tunnels there, which they said were used as Hamas command and control centers.

However, the militant group Hamas and medical staff denied allegations the hospital was used for military purposes or to protect the fighters.

In recent days, a Hamas spokesman said the death toll from the hospital raids announced in Israel's previous statement was not a fighter, but patients and displaced persons, accusing Israel of war crimes.