The Israeli army released a photograph of 350 fighters from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups that it said were captured at the Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip on 21 March. But only a day later, it declared that the photograph, which Israeli army Spokesman Daniel Hagari said was of “terrorists” arrested at the hospital, was “inaccurate”.

It said in a statement that due to “human error” images of militants who were not arrested had been published, indicating that they were still holed up near the Al-Shifa Hospital and that the army was working to arrest them.

The statement came less than 24 hours after Hamas had denied the Israeli claims of the arrest of movement leaders at the Al-Shifa Hospital.

Such disinformation represents a weakness of Israeli military intelligence, which has been one of the most serious issues facing the Israeli Occupation Forces during their expanded operation in the Gaza Strip and inside densely populated civilian neighbourhoods.

On 18 March, the Israeli army prepared for the raid on the Al-Shifa Hospital, by bringing together the 401st Brigade, which has the best Merkava 4 Barak tanks in the Israeli army, and the elite Shayetet 13 commando force that is not suitable for complex battles involving raids on civilian buildings.

Because the primary tasks of the Shayetet 13 force involve assaulting the rear lines of hostile forces and sabotage operations, it is not an anti-terrorism force like some other units such as LOTAR, Refaim.

The 401st Brigade is also an armoured brigade designed for offensive operations because its tanks have120-mm guns and active protection systems that can fire explosive charges against ATGM (anti-tank guided missiles), making them unsuitable for fighting in narrow neighbourhoods and risking increased collateral damage to civilians.

The end result of the Israeli mission was a disastrous scenario for Gaza’s largest hospital, where hundreds of patients and children are under treatment. After Israeli soldiers stormed the Al-Shifa Hospital last Wednesday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Martin Griffiths appealed for quick action to “halt the ongoing slaughter” in Gaza.

“While the tragedy in Gaza worsens by the day, the world remains shocked while hospitals are bombed, premature babies die, and the entire population is starving of basic necessities of life. This cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

He was horrified, he said, because “hospitals are not battlefields.”The World Health Organisation (WHO) also stated that it was “very concerned” for patients in the hospital and said that it had lost communication with medical crews.

Following clearing operations inside the hospital buildings, the Israeli army revealed a week later that no signs of the kidnappers or hostages had been discovered.

Meanwhile, the Israeli presence sparked clashes at the hospital’s entrance. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, reported that it had used mortar shells to engage Israeli forces infiltrating the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, as well as a guided missile to target Israeli tanks south of it.

The Israeli forces insisted that targeting hospitals was justified by saying that there were Hamas fighters inside them or beneath them in tunnels. However, the clashes that have taken place have done so outside the hospitals, and any Israeli presence inside them will drive Hamas fighters to clash with it.

Palestinian medical sources indicate that since the beginning of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has been running a “systematic and fierce campaign” against the Strip’s hospitals, especially in the northern part, and that this campaign, ranging from aerial targeting, artillery fire, siege, arrests, and bombing, all pose a threat to the lives of thousands of patients.

According to estimates in December, more than 22 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are out of service, along with 138 other health institutions, as a result of Israeli bombardments and a lack of fuel and staff.

Those hospitals that are still open are under increasing pressure, either as a result of the Israeli shelling or because of the large number of sick and wounded people arriving in them.

Richard Peeperkorn, a WHO official in Gaza, described conditions in Gaza’s hospitals as “extremely tragic.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to give the Israeli public a “complete victory” in Gaza through the invasion of Rafah, which for him may be the only way out of the embarrassment suffered after the failure of Israeli security last October.

Despite the amount of destruction that has since been wreaked on Gaza, the Israeli government has not halted operations. However, it now appears that the US administration could prevent Netanyahu from invading Rafah at least during Ramadan.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, on 22 March Netanyahu said that he had told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that an Israeli ground operation in Rafah would proceed with or without American support.

Israeli defence analyst Amos Harel said that “Netanyahu threatens, on a daily basis, an invasion near Rafah, promises the public a total victory over Hamas, and is proud of Israel’s independence to decide, despite tensions with President Joe Biden.”

However, in practice any idea that Israel will defend itself with its own forces has been under a big question mark since the Hamas attack of 7 October.

The US message on Rafah was initially sent via Israeli Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, who visited Washington early this month and said that the administration would not support an Israeli entry into Rafah during Ramadan.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, continues to be very severe. The crisis, described as verging on starvation in some areas, is beginning to determine the reactions of the international community and growing demands for an immediate ceasefire.

According to many analysts, there has been a slowdown in the preparations of the Israeli forces expected to attack Rafah, but despite this the 35th Parachute Brigade has moved to near Rafah, and the Israeli Air Force is conducting an intensive reconnaissance and intelligence effort around the Strip by G550 Oron and C-130 from 555 unit specializing in such missions.

The primary objective is to locate Hamas fighters while attempting to locate the Israeli hostages as compensation for the Israeli intelligence failures on the ground. Artillery bombardments of Rafah and airstrikes by regular V formations of F-16 aircraft are also part of the strategy.

For the time being, the US administration has effectively prevented an Israeli invasion of Rafah, and abstained from voting against the most recent ceasefire demand in Gaza due to Israel’s persistent stubbornness. Questions remain over the negotiations in Qatar to release the remaining Israeli hostages, with success in these possibly restraining the Netanyahu government from shedding more blood in Gaza.

Many analysts are optimistic about getting a positive reaction from the Hamas leadership, especially leader Yahya Al-Sinwar. With great hopes that the UN demand would enter into force as soon as possible to provide the Palestinian people with some rest and relieve their suffering

 

The writer is a researcher at the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies (ECSS).

* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 March, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly