Israeli forces renew crimes in Al-Shifa; denude men, displace families

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Mar 2024 15:59
2 Shares

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports on the latest updates from al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza following a large-scale Israeli raid.

Palestinians identify relatives killed in Israeli bombardment on civilians in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, Palestine, on March 15, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli occupation forces forced multiple families out of streets and buildings surrounding the Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City where they had taken shelter.

Occupation forces continue to randomly shell and fire at citizens in the area while raiding several homes in the area. The Israeli military also demanded all Palestinian citizens immediately leave al-Rimal neighborhood and the Al-Shifa Medical Complex on Monday after it launched an attack on the medical facility for the second time since the war on Gaza began.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that around 30,000 Palestinians are currently besieged in the medical complex, which is coming under the direct fire of Israeli artillery and strikes. The medical complex also hosts around 5,000 wounded people.

As a result of the attacks, flames went off in the Department of Specialized Surgery, which hosts the largest number of displaced people in the medical complex, Al Mayadeen's correspondent explained. In detail, Israeli occupation forces prevented emergency services from entering the area to put out the fire, adding to the list of brutal actions conducted by the occupation on Monday.

Our correspondent also said that Israeli occupation forces seized the phones of several medical staff members and displaced people, besieging the complex from every corner.

Occupation forces had raided two schools located in the vicinity of the hospital, which are being used to host refugees, arresting the men and denuding them. Women and children were ordered to head south toward Deir al-Balah.

Death toll on the rise

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced earlier today that the Israeli occupation committed 8 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, killing 81 and injuring 116 in 24 hours only.

This brings the total number of Palestinians killed to 31,726, in addition to 73,792 injuries, according to the Ministry.

It stressed that many victims remain under the rubble as ambulances and civil defense crews are unable to reach them.

It is noteworthy that the numbers only account for martyrs officially registered with the Ministry, and there may be a significant number of martyrs whose bodies have not yet been accounted for or reached hospitals.

Palestinian Resistance confronts invasion outside al-Shifa

The spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces announced on Monday noon that Sergeant Matan Vinogradov, a fighter in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, was killed in the northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli media outlets reported that Vinogradov was killed in confrontations outside al-Shifa Hospital by Palestinian Resistance fighters.

Palestinian Resistance fighters had planned an ambush for the invading forces early on Monday morning, forcing Israeli warplanes to intervene during confrontations, according to Israeli media outlets.

On its part, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) announced that its fighters were engaged in fierce fighting with Israeli occupation forces outside Al-Shifa Medical Complex. The Brigades confirmed that they targeted an Israeli armored personnel carrier (APC) with an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) near the Ministry of Transportation, adding that the APC was directly hit.

Al-Mujahideen Brigades also announced that its fighters are confronting Israeli occupation forces in the west of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip.