Israeli Defence Forces, IDF have pulled out of Al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza.
The troops had entered the hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, an action that sparked fears for the safety of thousands of patients, staff and civilians sheltering inside.
UN estimates at least 2,300 people in al-Shifa, which has been struggling to cope with the influx of wounded and sick amid the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza. The hospital has also been facing severe shortages of fuel, electricity, medicine and water.
The Israeli military claimed it was carrying out a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specific area” of the hospital, where it claimed the Islamist group had a command center in tunnels beneath the compound.
This claim was supported by the White House, which said it had “credible information” that Hamas was using the hospital for military purposes. Hamas denied the allegation and accused Israel of violating international law by attacking a medical facility.
During the operation, the soldiers interrogated dozens of civilians, some of whom were stripped to their underwear, and searched rooms and wards.
The hospital, located in the western part of Gaza City, has been under constant threat of Israeli attacks, as it is close to the front lines of the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters.
Several rockets and shells have landed near the hospital, causing damage and panic. The hospital’s director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, said he hoped the Israeli withdrawal would end the siege and allow the hospital to resume its normal operations.
