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On 17 March 2024, Israeli forces conducted an overnight raid on the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Reports indicated the presence of tanks and heavy gunfire at the facility. According to an IDF spokesperson, the IDF was carrying out a high precision operation in limited areas of the hospital. The IDF stated that senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside the hospital and are using it as a base for launching attacks. Eyewitnesses described a state of panic within the complex, with people hiding and hearing tank fire nearby. One witness reported, "there are dead and wounded, and the soldiers arrested some young men."
The Gaza Health Ministry labeled the operation a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. Hundreds of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge at Al-Shifa hospital. In a video message, IDF chief spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari stated that the hospital would continue functioning during the raid, and patients and staff were not required to evacuate. Hagari stated that displaced individuals sheltering at the hospital would be able to leave via an evacuation route and called on Hamas to surrender immediately. The Israeli military stated that troops were briefed beforehand "regarding the importance of preventing harm to civilians, patients, medical teams, and medical equipment.