Israeli military vehicles start withdrawing from Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital

By Abdel Salam Fayez

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army withdrew some of its vehicles from the Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City while leaving some soldiers inside, a source at the hospital told Anadolu on Wednesday.

The source, preferring not to mention their name for security reasons, said some troops remain inside the building, coinciding with a cessation of gunfire and a cautious calm.

He noted that those inside the hospital cannot leave due to Israeli forces shooting at anything moving.

The Israeli army reportedly arrested a number of displaced people, patients and their families, taking them to an unknown location.

The source further clarified that Israeli shelling targeted one of the sections of the complex from the southwest near the maternity building, and “we couldn't precisely determine the target due to the inability to move at all.”

On the number of people inside the complex, he said it amounts to around 700 patients and wounded, 650 medical staff and 1,000 displaced individuals.

Earlier on Wednesday, a medical source inside the hospital warned that medical services had completely stopped, raising concerns about the imminent danger of death for the wounded and patients.

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli army stormed the Al-Shifa Medical Complex after besieging it for days.

The complex is hosting civilians who have been displaced from their homes due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the area.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala