Troops leave Gaza's biggest hospital after raid

GAZA STRIP — The Israeli military withdrew from Gaza's largest hospital early on Monday after a two-week raid, leaving behind several bodies and a vast swath of destruction, according to Palestinian residents.

The military has described the raid on Al Shifa hospital as one of the most successful operations in the nearly six months of conflict. It says it killed scores of Hamas and other militants, including senior operatives, and that it seized weapons and valuable intelligence. It confirmed forces had withdrawn on Monday.

The UN health agency said several patients died and dozens were put at risk during the raid, which brought further destruction to a hospital that had already largely ceased to function. Days of heavy fighting showed that Hamas can still put up resistance even in one of the hardest-hit areas of Gaza.

Mohammed Mahdi, who was among hundreds of Palestinians who returned to the area, described a scene of "total destruction". He said several buildings had been burned down and that he had counted six bodies in the area, including two in the hospital courtyard.

Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, said there were still patients, medical workers and displaced people sheltering inside the medical compound after several patients had been taken to the nearby Ahli hospital.

Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided several medical facilities. Health officials in Gaza deny those allegations.

The military had previously raided Al Shifa hospital in November.

The conflict began on Oct 7, when Hamas stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage. Israel responded with an air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 32,845 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The conflict has displaced most of the territory's population and driven a third of its residents to the brink of famine. Northern Gaza, where Al Shifa is located, has suffered vast destruction and has been largely isolated since October, leading to widespread hunger.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to keep up military pressure on Hamas, while showing flexibility in the talks, saying that only that combination would bring about the release of hostages.

But he faces mounting pressure from Israelis who blame him for the security failures of Oct 7 and from some families of the hostages who blame him for the failure to reach a deal despite several weeks of talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

Largest protest

Tens of thousands of Israelis thronged Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government protest since the country went into conflict. Protesters urged the government to reach a cease-fire deal to free dozens of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and to hold early elections.

"To go to elections now will just push to the side the most burning issue, which is to return the hostages home," Shelly Shem Tov, whose son Omer was kidnapped from a music festival, told Israel's Channel 12.

Protesters blame Netanyahu for the failures of Oct 7 and say the deep political divisions over his attempted judicial overhaul last year weakened Israel ahead of the attack. Some accuse him of damaging relations with the US, Israel's most important ally.

The United States and Israel were due to hold a virtual meeting on Monday on the planned offensive in Gaza's Rafah, an Israeli source said, a week after Israel called off a delegation's visit to Washington.

"The meeting is scheduled for today. It will be online. There may be a meeting in person later this week," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Also on Sunday, the Palestinian new government headed by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa was sworn in here in the West Bank.

During the swearing-in ceremony in front of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Mustafa pledged that his new government would serve all Palestinians, stressing the government's political references are the Palestine Liberation Organization and its political program and international commitments, as mandated by the letter of assignment outlined by Abbas.

Agencies - Xinhua