Israeli Forces Instruct Immediate Evacuation of Shifa Hospital

On Saturday, Israeli military ordered the evacuation of Al-Shifa hospital "in the next hour" via loudspeakers, according to an AFP journalist on the place, as commandos combed the facility for Hamas hideouts.

The largest hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa, has become the focal point of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which is now in its seventh week after the October 7 strikes on southern Israel.

Israel asserts that Hamas has a base beneath Al-Shifa, which the militants reject.

Before Israeli troops went in on Wednesday, the UN estimated that 2,300 patients, workers, and displaced Palestinians were sheltering at Al-Shifa.

The Hamas health ministry in Gaza has reported numerous fatalities due to power cuts resulting from fuel shortages amid ongoing intense combat.

Despite Israel's repeated appeals for the hospital to relocate to the south, medical professionals argue that moving patients is not feasible.

Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the hospital director, stated to AFP that Israeli troops have directed him to ensure "the evacuation of patients, wounded individuals, the displaced, and medical staff, with the instruction to move on foot toward the seafront."