Representatives of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) restricted journalists from independently inspecting Al Shifa hospital in Gaza. This detail appears in a report by the New York Times (via reporting partners).
Two New York Times reporters and a photographer were required to remain with Israeli troops during the visit to Gaza. The military did not allow entry into the hospital, nor did it permit photographing or interviewing patients and medical staff inside the facility, citing security concerns and the possibility that Hamas fighters might still be present (reported by the Times).
Part of the medical complex, however, was shown to the journalists.
Claims about tunnels beneath the hospital housing a Hamas command center have been used to justify certain Israeli actions against civilian targets in Gaza as representations of Hamas activity. Yet, the Israeli side has not provided independent evidence of this claim, and the tunnels had not been fully explored. IDF soldiers did not descend into those tunnels for fear of booby traps.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about signs that Hamas might be holding hostages at Al Shifa hospital.
The Middle East situation intensified after thousands of Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, with Hamas declaring the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Netanyahu declared that the country was at war (as reported).
Israel’s declared objective in response to Operation Iron Sword was to repel the attack, free more than 200 hostages, including foreigners, and dismantle Hamas. To pursue this goal, Israel launched substantial rocket strikes on the Gaza Strip from day one of the operation. Concurrently, the Israeli National Security Council halted the flow of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the region. Humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza began through the Rafah crossing only after October 20, and their volume was described as insufficient (as reported by multiple outlets citing official statements).
On October 27, Israel announced an expansion of the ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date remained unclear, but prior to the operation hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes, seeking shelter in the south. By November 5, as part of the ground push, IDF forces surrounded Gaza City and cut off supplies, with fighting continuing in central Gaza.
Former Israeli president Isaac Herzog stated that the Hamas command center is located beneath the central hospital in the Gaza Strip (as reported).