Al Jazeera

The Israeli military has entered Gaza's main hospital in what it describes as a " targeted operation against Hamas".

An eyewitness at al-Shifa hospital told The Bbc troops moved in overnight and were interrogating People .

Israel has long accused Hamas of having a command centre under al-Shifa and the US says its intelligence backs this up, but Hamas denies it.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was " appalled" and that " hospitals are not battlegrounds".

Meanwhile The World Health Organization has said it was " extremely worried" for patients and staff, with whom it had lost contact.

The Bbc has been speaking to A Journalist and a doctor inside The Hospital to try to find out what is happening there, while the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have also been providing updates. We can't independently confirm any of the accounts.

Khader, A Journalist inside al-Shifa, told The Bbc 's Rushdi Abualouf that Israeli troops were in " complete control" of The Hospital and no shooting was taking place.

He Said six tanks and about 100 commandos entered The Complex during The Night , with soldiers entering the main Emergency Department and shouted " Don't move! "

Israeli forces then went room to room, floor by floor questioning both staff and patients and were accompanied by medics and Arabic speakers.

Over loudspeakers, IDF soldiers asked all men between the ages of 16 and 40 to leave The Hospital buildings, except the surgical and emergency departments, and go to The Hospital courtyard.

Soldiers Fired into the air to force those remaining inside to come out, Khader said.

He also said troops had installed a scanning and sensor device and asked The Men to pass through it.

Muhammad Zaqout, The Director general of hospitals in the Gaza Strip , has also given an account of how the raid played out. In an interview with Al Jazeera , He Said " not a single bullet" had been Fired - because " there are no resistors or detainees" inside.

The IDF said late on Tuesday that its forces were in the midst of a " precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital".

It described The Move as an " operational necessity" based on " intelligence information" and called for " Hamas terrorists" in The Hospital to surrender.

On Wednesday morning the IDF said upon entering al-Shifa, its military faced attacks using explosives and fought off " terrorist squads".

Later on Wednesday a senior IDF official who declined to be named told reporters that Israel had found weapons and " terror infrastructure" but did not immediately provide evidence.

No fighting had taken place within The Hospital and there was no friction between soldiers and People there, the official said.

Israel's Army Radio reported that troops had not So Far found any sign of any of the hostages taken by Hamas in its 7 October attack.

The raid on The Hospital came shortly after the US publicly backed - for the First Time - Israeli claims that Hamas has infrastructure underneath al-Shifa hospital.

White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said the US had its own intelligence, which had come from a variety of sources, suggesting Hamas used hospitals in the Gaza Strip and tunnels underneath them to conceal military operations and hold hostages.

" Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members operate a command and control node from al-Shifa in Gaza City, " He Said , adding that it showed how challenging the Israeli operation is - because Hamas " has deeply embedded itself within the civilian population".

However Dr Ahmed Mokhallalati, a plastic surgeon at al-Shifa reached by The Bbc , insisted that there were only civilians in The Hospital and said he had never seen a single gun inside The Hospital , or any Hamas presence.

He Said there were tunnels under every building in Gaza, including al-Shifa hospital.

Intense fighting has been reported around al-Shifa for days, trapping patients, staff and displaced People who had sought shelter there.

Dr Mokhallalati told The Bbc on Wednesday that The Hospital was without power, oxygen and water.

On Tuesday essential surgeries had been carried out without proper anaesthesia, with patients " screaming in pain". No surgeries could be carried out on Wednesday.

Doctors were unable to help one patient with burns on Tuesday due to lack of equipment including ventilators and had to just " let him die".

Meanwhile six premature babies had died in recent days and Dr Mokhallalati said he feared more would die due to lack of oxygen and lack of power.

The IDF said its troops were providing incubators, Baby Food and medical supplies to The Hospital .

" Why can't they be evacuated" Dr Mokhallalati said of The Babies . " In Afghanistan they evacuated The Cats and dogs. "

" Where is the ICRC [Red Cross ]? " he added. " Where are The British and American governments? Is everyone just waiting for us all to die here And Then say we were 'Good People '? "

Although Israel previously said it was ready to allow staff and patients to evacuate, Palestinians have said Israeli forces opened fire at them and that it was too dangerous to move vulnerable patients.

Witnesses have described dire conditions inside The Hospital , with families with scant food or water living in corridors and smell of decomposing bodies in the air.

Before the raid, Israel had said it was not targeting hospitals directly but acknowledged " clashes" around Shifa and other facilities had occurred in recent days.

Asked to comment on the operation, the White House said civilians and patients must be protected and it did not want to " see a firefight in a hospital where innocent People . . are trying to get medical care they deserve".

Mr Griffiths, the UN's under secretary general for humanitarian affairs said: " The protection of newborns, patients, medical staff and all civilians must override all other concerns. "

In a separate video statement Mr Griffiths said he understood that Israel wanted to find Hamas leaders but his agency's main concern was for the welfare of The People at Shifa.

" Hamas must not, should not, use a place like a hospital as a shield for their presence, " He Said .

" I understand the Israelis' concern for trying to find The Leadership of Hamas. That's not our problem. Our problem is protecting The People of Gaza from what's being visited upon them, " he added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement that it was " extremely concerned about the impact on sick and wounded People , medical staff, and civilians".

Source of news: bbc.com