"Israel" has issued a threat to potentially strike Gaza's main al-Shifa hospital, which has prompted fears of an unprecedented and horrific massacre. Shortly after the Israeli threat, all communications and Internet services were completely cut off from the Gaza Strip, coinciding with unprecedented violent bombardment

Simultaneously, Hamas denied the Israeli army's accusation that it is using hospitals to shield its operations, dismissing the charges as unfounded.

"There's no basis in truth in what the spokesperson of the enemy army stated," said Izzat al-Rishq, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau.

He implicated that "Israel" is making the allegations to "pave the way for a new massacre to be committed against our people."

"We call on world leaders to act to stop the crimes of genocide," he added.

Hamas also stated that more than 40,000 citizens are taking refuge at al-Shifa Hospital, warning against a new massacre and calling on the leaders of the world to take action to stop the crimes of genocide.

This comes shortly after the Israeli occupation forces alleged on Friday that Hamas was misusing hospitals in the Gaza Strip for military purposes.

The allegation was promptly refuted by Hamas, and the primary United Nations agency operating in Gaza stated earlier that it had established safeguards to ensure aid was not misappropriated.

"We have solid monitoring mechanisms... UNRWA does not and will not divert any humanitarian aid into the wrong hands," the commissioner general for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said.

"Hamas wages war from hospitals" in Gaza, IOF military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed.

Hagari specifically identified al-Shifa hospital, the largest in Gaza, which is operating with limited functionality due to its reliance on solar-powered generators and is experiencing severe strain, mirroring the healthcare system's overall condition in the Gaza Strip.

Doctors in Gaza are struggling to manage the thousands of patients injured by the brutal Israeli airstrikes

This was a doctor’s agonizing reaction to the desperation inside a Gaza hospital pic.twitter.com/ATOFSiJfit

— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) October 18, 2023

Reports indicate that over 40,000 displaced Palestinians have sought shelter at the hospital, with many of them crowded into hallways, waiting areas, and the hospital courtyard.

On Monday, Israeli airstrikes targeted regions in close proximity to both al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals in Gaza, as reported by Wafa.

It is worth noting that the Israeli bomb shredded patients, doctors, and displaced people to pieces with its shrapnel killing at least 500 on October 17 at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City.

Read more: Israeli alleged evidence of Baptist Hospital massacre debunked