Tessa Quinn
The Israeli military has raided Gaza's main hospital, Al-Shifa, several times since 2023, claiming that it was targeting Hamas operatives and infrastructure within the hospital. The hospital is the largest single provider of healthcare in Gaza, and its destruction has denied access to healthcare to thousands of Palestinians. Israel has accused Hamas of using the hospital as a command and control centre, and of preventing the evacuation of civilians from the area. However, these claims have been disputed, and the raids have been condemned internationally as a violation of international law. The attacks have resulted in the deaths of civilians, including premature babies, and the destruction of hospital infrastructure, leading to widespread criticism and calls for an independent investigation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Israeli raid on Al-Shifa Hospital | 11 November 2023 |
| Reason for Israeli raid | Israel stated that Hamas was using the hospital as a base and a command centre for attacks |
| Outcome of the raid | Al-Shifa hospital was left "completely out of service" with hundreds of dead Palestinians found in and around the hospital |
| International response | The raid was condemned by the UN, WHO, and the International Committee of the Red Cross |
| Israeli response | Israel denied allegations of wrongdoing, stating that it had taken "special efforts not to harm any patients, medical staff, or civilians in the area" |
| Casualties | 400 Palestinians killed, including a female doctor and her son, and 900 detained according to Hamas; 200 "terrorists" killed and 500 detained according to Israel |
| Journalists killed | Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qraiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, Mohammed Noufal, and Mohammed al-Khalidi |
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What You'll Learn
- Israel claims Hamas used Al Shifa Hospital as a command centre
- International law prohibits attacking hospitals unless they are being used for military purposes
- Israel accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields
- Israel's actions at Al Shifa Hospital were described as violations of international law
- Al Shifa Hospital was the largest healthcare provider in Gaza
Israel claims Hamas used Al Shifa Hospital as a command centre
Israel has claimed that Hamas, a militant group, used Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip, as a command centre. Al-Shifa Hospital has become the focus of a days-long stalemate in Israel's war against Hamas. Israel claims Hamas uses the facility for military purposes and has built a vast underground command centre below the hospital.
On 7 October 2023, Hamas attacked Israeli civilian communities and military bases, killing around 1,200 Israelis, most of whom were civilians, and taking about 250 hostages into Gaza. Israel conducted a counterattack and imposed a blockade on Gaza. During this time, Hamas brought two hostages, one of them wounded, to the hospital. Israel claims that this demonstrates that Al-Shifa Hospital was used as a command and control centre.
On 3 November 2023, an Israeli airstrike targeted an ambulance convoy leaving the hospital, killing 15 and wounding 60. Israel stated that Hamas was using the ambulances, a claim Hamas denied. On 15 November 2023, Israeli forces raided the hospital, where thousands of Palestinians were taking shelter. The Israeli raid was widely criticised, and Israel was accused of waging a propaganda war.
On 2 January 2024, US intelligence confirmed its belief that Hamas used the Al-Shifa Hospital as a command centre and to hold Israeli hostages. However, no evidence was publicly presented to support these claims. On 18 March 2024, Israeli forces conducted another overnight raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, resulting in extensive gunfights inside and around the hospital complex. The hospital was mostly destroyed, and hundreds of dead Palestinians were found in and around the hospital.
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International law prohibits attacking hospitals unless they are being used for military purposes
International humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits attacking hospitals and other civilian objects, such as schools, unless they are being used for military purposes. This protection is based on the fundamental principle of distinguishing between civilians and other protected persons and those who take part in hostilities. Hospitals are considered protected facilities because they provide life-saving functions for the wounded and sick, regardless of what party they belong to. The wounded and sick include anyone who needs medical attention and is not, or no longer, taking part in hostilities.
The principle of distinction is complemented by the principle of proportionality, which prohibits attacks that would cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, or damage to civilian objects, if such harm would be excessive relative to the anticipated military advantage. Additionally, the principle of precaution in attack requires that constant care be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects, with all feasible precautions taken to avoid or minimise incidental harm to civilians and civilian objects.
The protection of hospitals under IHL has several exceptions. Hospitals can lose their protected status if they are used to directly or indirectly interfere in military operations and thereby harm the enemy. Examples include using a hospital as a base to launch attacks, as an observation post to transmit information of military value, as a weapons depot, or as a centre for liaison with fighting troops. The presence of sick or wounded combatants no longer taking part in hostilities does not cause a hospital to lose its protection.
In the case of Al-Shifa Hospital, Israel stated that it conducted a "targeted operation against Hamas" and that Hamas was using the hospital as a "command and control centre". However, these claims are disputed, and no conclusive evidence has been found to support Israel's statements. The attack on Al-Shifa Hospital and the surrounding controversy have led to international criticism and calls for an independent investigation.
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Israel accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields
Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields during conflicts, including the 2008-2009 Gaza War, the 2014 Gaza War, and the 2023 conflict. According to the Israeli narrative, Hamas deliberately shields itself behind the civilian population of Gaza, using human shields in two ways. Firstly, by conducting military operations near residential areas and critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools, to deter attacks on these areas. Secondly, by using Israeli civilian hostages to protect Hamas's senior leadership from attacks.
Israel claims that Hamas has placed parts of its military tunnel system and command network under civilian objects, including Gaza City's Dar al-Shifa hospital. In 2023, Israel's Army Radio reported that Hamas had infrastructure underneath Al-Shifa Hospital, which was backed by the US. However, Dr Ahmed Mokhallalati, a plastic surgeon at the hospital, denied these claims, stating that there were only civilians in the hospital and that tunnels existed under every building in Gaza. Hamas has also denied using Al-Shifa Hospital as a human shield, stating that the allegations have "no basis in truth".
The Israeli military has ordered all civilians in the region to evacuate on several occasions, accusing Hamas of preventing the evacuation of civilians, particularly from Al-Shifa Hospital. During the 2023 conflict, the IDF stated that Hamas was using civilians as human shields and requested the evacuation of Northern Gaza and Al-Shifa Hospital. However, thousands of displaced civilians were sheltering in the hospital at the time of the attacks.
The use of human shields is considered a war crime by the international criminal court, defined as "utilising the presence of a civilian or other protected person to render certain points, areas, or military forces immune from military operations". While Hamas has been accused of using human shields, human rights groups have noted that this does not equate to human shielding under international law. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch found no evidence of Hamas using human shields during the 2009 conflict, and the UN reported that Israel did not provide substantial evidence for its human shields allegations in Gaza.
Despite the persistent accusations, the validity of the "human shields" charge has been questioned. There is a notable lack of evidence to support the claims, and it may be influenced by underlying Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Even if Hamas were using human shields, Israel would still be obligated to protect civilians and abide by international law, particularly the principle of proportionality.
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Israel's actions at Al Shifa Hospital were described as violations of international law
Israel's raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza has been described as a violation of international law. The hospital is the largest in the Gaza Strip, and at the time of the raid, it was reported to have 650 patients and around 7,000 displaced people seeking shelter.
International humanitarian law grants special protection to hospitals, meaning they should not be attacked. However, this protection can be lost if the hospital is used for military objectives, such as shielding military action, storing weapons, or acting as a military observation post. Israel has stated that its raid on Al-Shifa Hospital was a "targeted operation against Hamas", claiming that the hospital was being used as a command and control centre. Israel further claimed that Hamas was preventing the evacuation of civilians from the hospital, using them as human shields.
The evidence provided by Israel to support these claims has been disputed. While Israel presented images of weapons and equipment allegedly belonging to Hamas, journalists and doctors inside the hospital stated that they did not see any evidence of military activity. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) outlined that the use of hospitals as a base to launch attacks or to shield military objectives is prohibited.
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that hospitals are not battlegrounds, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an independent investigation into the raid. Medical staff at Al-Shifa accused Israel of directly causing civilian deaths, including those of prematurely born babies. Amnesty International described the raid as a "devastating attack on human rights", emphasizing that the principles of distinction, precaution, and proportionality must be applied even if health facilities are used for military purposes.
Israel's actions at Al-Shifa Hospital have sparked international criticism and raised questions about the legality of its conduct under international humanitarian law.
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Al Shifa Hospital was the largest healthcare provider in Gaza
Al Shifa Hospital, located in the neighbourhood of northern Rimal in Gaza City, was the largest medical complex and central hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. It was first established by the British in 1946 as a centre for treating quarantine and febrile diseases. It was later expanded during the Egyptian and Israeli occupations.
The hospital was originally a British Army barracks, which was transformed into a medical centre by the government of the British Mandate of Palestine. Prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Al Shifa was one of two hospitals in Gaza. After the war, the quarantine and febrile diseases department was relocated, and Al Shifa became the central hospital of Gaza.
The hospital was expanded during the Egyptian and Israeli occupations. When Israel occupied Gaza in the 1967 Six-Day War, the Egyptian administration and staff were taken prisoner. Over time, the hospital grew to include several sub-departments, including internal medicine, paediatrics, surgery, ophthalmology, and gynaecology.
During the First Intifada in 1987, Israeli forces stormed the hospital on multiple occasions, injuring and killing several Palestinians. In 2006, Hamas won a surprise election victory in Gaza, and the following year, they staged a military takeover. During the 2008-2009 Gaza War, the hospital overflowed with Palestinians injured by Israeli airstrikes.
Al Shifa Hospital has been at the centre of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. Israel has accused Hamas militants of using the hospital to hide command posts and hostages using underground tunnels. In 2023, Israel raided the hospital, claiming it was a "targeted operation against Hamas". Thousands of displaced civilians were taking shelter in the hospital at the time of the attacks. The raid on the hospital has been widely criticised, with accusations of violations of international law.
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Frequently asked questions
Israel states that it is attacking Al-Shifa Hospital because Hamas is using it as a base for military operations.
Israel has provided images of what it says are Hamas weapons and equipment found in the hospital. However, Hamas denies operating there, and no independent verification of Israel's claims has been made.
Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are specially protected facilities. This means that parties to conflicts cannot attack hospitals or prevent them from performing their medical functions. However, this protection can be lost if the hospital is being used to make an "effective contribution to military action".
Yes, the attack on Al-Shifa Hospital has drawn international criticism. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for an independent investigation into the incident. The World Health Organization (WHO) also expressed extreme worry for the patients and staff at the hospital.
Yes, in March 2024, Israeli forces conducted an overnight raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, which resulted in the hospital being mostly destroyed. Hundreds of dead Palestinians were found in and around the hospital, including in mass graves.
