Al-Shifa Hospital

For other hospitals, see Shifa Hospital (disambiguation).

Al-Shifa Hospital
Map
Geography
LocationGaza, Gaza Governorate, Palestinian territories
Coordinates31°31′27″N 34°26′39″E / 31.52417°N 34.44417°E / 31.52417; 34.44417
Organisation
Care systemInternal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, obstetrics, gynecology
TypeTreatment
History
Opened1946
ClosedApril 2024 (destroyed as part of Israel-Hamas War)

Al-Shifa Hospital (Arabic: مستشفى الشفاء Mustašfā š-Šifāʾ [musˈtaʃ.fa‿ʃ.ʃiˈfaːʔ]) was the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, located in the neighborhood of northern Rimal in Gaza City.[1]

The hospital was first established by the government of Mandatory Palestine in 1946, and expanded during the Egyptian and later Israeli occupations. During the Israel–Hamas war, Israel, supported by the United States, said Hamas was using the hospital as a command center and on 15 November 2023, its forces raided the hospital, where thousands of Palestinians were taking shelter.[2][3][4] The Israeli raid was widely criticized[5][6] and Israel was accused by several news outlets of waging a propaganda war.[7] Medical staff at al-Shifa have accused Israel of directly causing the deaths of civilians being treated at al-Shifa, including prematurely born babies.[8][9]

Following Israel's release of video evidence of Hamas tunnels under the hospital on 22 November, multiple news agencies concluded that the evidence did not demonstrate the use by Hamas of a command center.[10][11][12][13][14] Amnesty International said on 23 November 2023 that "Amnesty International has so far not seen any credible evidence to support Israel’s claim that al-Shifa is housing a military command centre" and that "the Israeli military has so far failed to provide credible evidence" for the allegation.[15] Izzat al-Risheq, a Hamas official, denied that the group used the hospital as a shield for its underground military structures, saying there was no truth to the claims.[16][17] A later report in February 2024 by the New York Times, confirmed the earlier reports but also cited classified Israeli intelligence material suggesting that Hamas did use the hospital as cover.[18]

A second Israeli raid on the hospital, during which there were extensive gunfights in and around the hospital complex, ended on 1 April 2024 after two weeks. The hospital was completely destroyed with hundreds of casualties around the hospital.[19][20] One of its medical units reopened on 1 September 2024.[21]

  1. ^ Al-Shifa Hospital and Israel's Gaza Siege Archived 21 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Defence for Children International Palestine Section. 16 July 2006.
  2. ^ "Thousands trapped as Israeli forces raid Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. ^ Crawford and Nagle, Shannon and Molly. "US 'still convinced' Hamas used Al-Shifa Hospital as command center as Israeli raid continues". ABC News. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  4. ^ "IDF evidence so far falls well short of al-Shifa hospital being Hamas HQ". The Guardian. 17 November 2023.
  5. ^ Meredith, Ruxandra Iordache,Sam (20 November 2023). "31 babies evacuated from Gaza's Al-Shifa; Biden says he believes a hostage deal will come soon". CNBC.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "'Hospitals are not battlegrounds': World reacts to Israel's al-Shifa raid". Al Jazeera.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference nation_prop was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference The New Arab 2023 b495 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Scahill, Jeremy (21 November 2023). "Al-Shifa Hospital, Hamas's Tunnels, and Israeli Propaganda". The Intercept. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Israel unveils what it claims is a major Hamas militant hideout beneath Gaza City's Shifa Hospital". AP News. 23 November 2023. Israel has not yet unveiled this purported center, but the military portrayed the underground hideout as its most significant discovery yet. Hamas and the hospital administration have denied Israel's accusations.
  11. ^ Dubai, Dov Lieber in Tel Aviv and Omar Abdel-Baqui in (22 November 2023). "Inside Israel's Campaign to Prove a Gaza Hospital Was a Hamas Command Center". WSJ. While many security analysts agree the latest evidence Israel has released increasingly suggests a Hamas presence at the hospital, most say they have yet to see something that constitutes a smoking gun showing it was a command center for Hamas, as Israel has alleged.
  12. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (23 November 2023). "Israel arrests Gaza hospital director and bombs 300 targets amid truce delay". The Guardian. Israel has repeatedly claimed that Hamas ran a command and control centre from tunnels running near and under the hospital, although so far the evidence presented has fallen short of that.
  13. ^ "Secrets of the tunnels: What lies beneath al Shifa hospital?". Sky News. The Israeli army is continuing to search the site for evidence of Hamas's presence, including the alleged command and control centre.
  14. ^ Vasilyeva, Nataliya; Barnes, Joe (23 November 2023). "Inside the tunnels beneath Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 November 2023. While the footage does prove the existence of tunnels underneath the complex, it remains unclear whether they formed part of a Hamas command centre, as Israel claims.
  15. ^ "Amnesty International UK Briefing: CRISIS IN ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 23 November 2023" (PDF). Amnesty International UK. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  16. ^ Beaumont, Peter (30 October 2023). "What is a human shield and how has Hamas been accused of using them?". The Guardian.
  17. ^ "Hamas rejects Israeli claim over installations under al-Shifa hospital". Al Jazeera.
  18. ^ Rosenberg, Matthew; Bergman, Ronen; Toler, Aric; Rosales, Helmuth (13 February 2024). "A Tunnel Offers Clues to How Hamas Uses Gaza's Hospitals" – via NYTimes.com.
  19. ^ "Israeli troops end Al-Shifa hospital raid, leaving behind bodies and trail of destruction". CNN. 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  20. ^ Boxerman, Aaron; Abuheweila, Iyad (April 2024). "Israeli troops pull out of a major Gaza hospital after a two-week battle". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  21. ^ Al Jazeera English (1 September 2024). Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital reopens after being left in ruins by Israeli attacks. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via YouTube.