Israel on Thursday claimed to have found a 'Command Centre' and weapons in Al-Shifa Hosptial that Hamas was allegedly using to orchestrate attacks against Israel. However, critics said that the relkeased images showed just a few weapons, while the full markings of a command centre have yet to be shown.
Israeli forces on Thursday released videos and images of troops roaming on Al Shifa grounds, a day after they had stormed the hospital premises. Tanks had demolished the northern wall to enter the hospital grounds, where the remaining occupants of the hospital had dug mass graves to bury the dead.
In a video, Israeli forces showed around a dozen Kalashnikov automatic rifles, magazines, knives, a few grenades, a combat vest, tactical radio, a telephone, smartphones and a laptop among some other gear, as "evidence" that Hamas was operating out of the hospital.
Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that troops were searching the hospital in a targetted manner based on intelligence. He further claimed that they had found weapons, documents, military technology, operational command centres and technological assets belonging to Hamas.
However, there was no word on finding the underground tunnels that both Tel Aviv and Washington had feverishly claimed were the reason why troops had targeted the hospital.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus termed a military excursion into a hospital unacceptable.
"Hospitals are not battlegrounds. We are extremely worried for staff and patients. Protecting them is paramount," he said in a message.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Health Ministry's Hospital Director General Dr Mohammad Zaqout said that Israeli troops remain inside Al-Shifa Hospital and continue to besiege it.
He said that Israeli forces were searching employees, civilians, the injured and patients.
Despite surrounding the hospital and having troops inside, Israel has not facilitated or provided access to medical care, fuel, food or water to patients and staff trapped inside the hospital. It has also not moved to shift these patients out of Al-Shifa to operational hospitals in Israel.
Resolution
After weeks of spoilers, the United Nations Security Council finally passed a resolution calling for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses" in fighting.
The US, who previously vetoed similar resolutions that called on both Israel and Hamas to protect civilians, especially children, abstained along with the UK and Russia to see the resolution pass.
Earlier in the week, Israel had already agreed to temporary, localised pauses in fighting but had rejected calls for a broader ceasefire even as it was discussed in negotiations over the release of hostages. Hamas claimed that Israel kept walking away from negotiations over the ceasefire involving the release of hostages.
Despite that, Israel deemed the UN Security Council resolution as "disconnected from reality" and "meaningless".
"Israel will continue to act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned," stated Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.
Bombing and fighting continue
Meanwhile, Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza continued, bombing the vicinity of the Indonesian hospital and other targets in Khan Younis while it fought with Hamas in other parts of Gaza and the West Bank.
The Israeli army claimed it had taken over operational control of the Gaza port. It released images and videos showing tanks and soldiers controlling access to the port. It has already announced the occupation of key government buildings, including the Gaza parliament, other government offices and the police headquarters.
On Thursday afternoon, six Israeli security officials were injured, including one critically, when they were attacked by armed men at a checkpoint near Jerusalem on the road connecting to the West Bank.
Israeli forces killed the men in retaliatory fire. They said the armed men carried pistols, axes and ammunition.
Israeli troops later raided the homes of the three attackers, detaining the mother of one of the attackers.
Separately, Israel attacked a village in southern Lebanon.
So far, Israel has claimed it has lost 51 troops, while the Palestinian health authority said that the toll of Palestinians has soared past 11,500 in Gaza and the West Bank.
International investigations
A high-ranking UN official has suggested there may be a need for international investigations into allegations of war crimes in the conflict.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk told member states in Geneva on Thursday that when national authorities prove unwilling or unable to carry out investigations and where there are contested narratives on particularly significant incidents, international investigation is called for.
Israel, meanwhile, said it had launched a probe into alleged sexual crimes committed by Hamas during the October 7 attack.
Fuel enters Gaza
The first shipment of fuel, meant for UNICEF and UN functionaries, entered Gaza on Thursday in the first shipment in over 40 days of the conflict.
The fuel has been allowed so that the UN can use it to facilitate aid distribution.