Israeli Minister of Defence, Yoav Gallant has disclosed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has completed the capture of the western part of Gaza City, and cleared the area of any Hamas operatives and assets.
Without providing further details, Gallant said that the Israeli army was moving to the “next phase” of its ground operation in Gaza.
He also noted that the operation at al-Shifa Hospital is continuing and was being carried out in “a selective and precise, but very, very determined manner.”
The Israeli army’s raid at the Hospital began on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, and continued for a second day on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
It was reported on Thursday that Israeli soldiers “dug” and “swept through” several areas at the al-Shifa Hospital. It was also said that the soldiers destroyed all the cars that were in the al-Shifa parking lot and refused to allow medical staff to leave.
Gallant divulged that the military had made “significant findings” at the hospital complex, but he did not elaborate and it was not clear if he was referring to “evidence” already released by the Israeli military.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, was questioned by reporters about the limited evidence Israel has so far produced to back its claim that the al-Shifa hospital was being used as a Hamas command centre and weapons store.
Kirby answered, “We have our own intelligence that convinces us that Hamas was using al-Shifa as a command and control node and most likely as well as a storage facility.”
“They were sheltering themselves in the hospital, using the hospital as a shield against military action, placing the patients and medical staff at greater risk. We are still convinced of the soundness of that intelligence.”
John Kirby
The questions for Kirby came after U.S President, Joe Biden expressed full support of IDF operations at al-Shifa in particular.
Biden had suggested that the ground operation should be more targeted than the aerial bombing campaign, which he appeared to acknowledge had been less discriminate.
Biden said on Wednesday night, “So this is a different story than I believe was occurring before – the indiscriminate bombing.”
The besieged Strip is currently under communication blackout as communication services have ceased due to lack of fuel.
Israel To Hide War Crimes Under Guise Of Blackout
Ismail Thawabta, the Director-General of the government media office in Gaza, warned that the blackout could allow Israel to hide any evidence of its “war crimes”.
Thawabta disclosed in a brief news conference that Israeli military actions against hospitals and other sites in the enclave will be “hidden from the eyes of international organisations” and countries around the world.
“This will deepen the humanitarian crisis. No one will be able to have contact with medical teams, with the civil defence, with the municipalities and all institutions in Gaza,” Thawabta said.
He called for the immediate opening of the Rafah border crossing to allow for much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Additionally, The General Manager of the Palestinian telecommunications company, Paltel, revealed that he has urged international bodies to persuade Israel to allow fuel to enter Gaza in order to restore telecommunications to the besieged enclave.
Paltel CEO Abdulmajeed Melhem told a news agency, “Since the outbreak of the war, there has been no electricity, therefore we have relied on alternative sources to operate the generators.”
He added, “ If they (Israel) allow the entry of fuel, this problem will be solved.”
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