Jerusalem, November 18: The Israeli military on Saturday denied that it ordered an evacuation of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after Palestinian media reports said the army had asked everyone to leave the medical complex within an hour's time. In a post in Hebrew on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had "responded to the request of the director of Shifa Hospital to allow Gazan citizens who were sheltering in the hospital and who wish to evacuate towards the humanitarian crossing in the Gaza Strip via a secure axis".

The military stressed that "at no point did the IDF ask to evacuate patients or medical teams". The IDF "even suggested that whenever there is a request to coordinate a medical evacuation, we will work to allow it and transfer the patients to other hospitals", the post read. Israel-Palestine War: Internet, Phone Services Partially Restored in Gaza in War-Torn Areas.

The army went on to say that medical teams will remain in the hospital, adding that the IDF continued to provide food, water and humanitarian aid to the medical complex overnight. IDF special forces backed by additional troops conducted an 18 hour-long operation on Wednesday against Hamas terror infrastructure at Al-Shifa.

The military claimed to find weapons and Hamas assets inside the premises while it interrogated people at the enclave's largest hospital. The Israeli military has repeatedly alleged that Palestinian armed groups operate a military compound within and underneath the Shifa Hospital. Israel-Hamas War: Israeli Defense Forces Recover Second Body of Hostage in Gaza in Two Days.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza and the hospital’s management have strongly denied the Israeli allegations and called for an independent investigation. The Jewish nation also said that it will share "more and more material" found during the military's search operation, while adding that the possibility of Hamas terrorists hiding in some areas in the facility cannot be ruled out.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2023 04:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).