Reports from multiple networks indicate that the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, a city in the West Bank near the Jenin refugee camp, was surrounded by Israeli forces with requests for staff and patients to evacuate. The coverage from Al Jazeera notes that medical personnel faced orders to leave the building as the surrounding operation unfolded around the hospital facilities.
Independent news outlets echoed these claims, describing a tense standoff in which occupation forces demanded the evacuation of Ibn Sina Hospital while clinicians and staff assessed safety and the potential impact on patient care. Medical teams described the stress of the moment and their decision to prioritize patient safety over compliance with the evacuation directive as the situation developed near the refugee camp area.
Lebanese broadcaster El Mayadeen reported that IDF troops targeted the emergency department of Ibn Sina Hospital and conducted interrogations with some medical staff, underscoring the broader disruption to emergency care in the area during the incident.
The crisis comes amid a broader escalation in the Middle East that intensified after Hamas militants reportedly entered Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, launching what was described by Hamas as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Israel declared a state of war as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced comprehensive military measures intended to neutralize armed groups and deter further incursions.
The stated objective of Israel’s campaign, framed around countering the October 7 assault, has included efforts to restore security by targeting Hamas infrastructure and recapturing hostages. As part of the initial military actions, Israel launched widespread rocket attacks across the Gaza Strip from the outset of the operation. Concurrently, the Israeli National Security Council discussed measures to constrain essential services to the Gaza Strip, aiming to pressure Hamas leadership and limit sustaining supplies. Humanitarian aid deliveries began later, with shipments moving through Rafah but described as insufficient in that stage of the response.
On October 27, an announcement signaled a possible expansion of the ground phase of the operation in Gaza. While precise start times for the ground campaign remained unclear, reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had sought shelter and relocated toward southern areas in advance of broader combat. By November 5, IDF ground forces had surrounded portions of Gaza City, and reports suggested continued fighting in central Gaza despite the cut in many supply lines.
In public statements during this period, Netanyahu reiterated a commitment to dismantling Hamas and restoring security, a stance that tied to the wider international concern over civilian protection and humanitarian access in the region. The unfolding sequence of military actions and the accompanying humanitarian challenges drew widespread international attention as governments and aid organizations urged careful attention to civilian safety and ceasefire options.