The Israeli military operation at al-Shifa hospital, which it said was targeting Hamas militants, came as experts warned of famine in northern Gaza.
Palestinian residents leave the area with a few items after the Israeli army forces besiege the al-Shifa Hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the raid had “eliminated” Faiq Mabhouh, a senior official within Hamas’s Internal Security division who was responsible for coordinating the group’s militant activities across the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run al-Aqsa network said that Mabhouh was a director of police operations who coordinated and protected aid deliveries. The Washington Post could not independently confirm his role.
Israel denies that it is limiting the flow of aid into Gaza, blaming the U.N. for failing to distribute aid and Hamas militants for diverting it from those in need. Reached by phone inside the hospital, Duaa, 43, told The Post she was among a large group of people who had been trapped in the facility’s waiting room since late Sunday night. She spoke on the condition she be identified by her first name, fearing reprisals for speaking to the media.
“They closed the doors and we don’t know anything,” he said. “We just hear the sound of gunfire and shelling.” Senior police officials often wear “double hats” and are involved with the military wing, he said, but added that Mabhouh’s role in the police was likely enough to make him a target for Israel. “He represents Hamas and he’s a senior figure,” he said. “This was the main problem.”
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