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  • Israeli troops withdraw from Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, after 2-week raid

    Israeli troops withdraw from Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest, after 2-week raid

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    The Israeli military withdrew from Gaza’s largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid, leaving behind several bodies and a vast swath of destruction, according to Palestinian residents.Video above: Gaza ceasefire talks to resume in Cairo after Netanyahu greenlightThe military has described the raid on Shifa Hospital as one of the most successful operations of the nearly six-month war. It says it killed scores of Hamas and other militants, including senior operatives, and that it seized weapons and valuable intelligence. It confirmed forces had withdrawn on Monday.The U.N. health agency said several patients died and dozens were put at risk during the raid, which brought even further destruction to a hospital that had already largely ceased to function. Days of heavy fighting showed that Hamas can still put up resistance even in one of the hardest-hit areas of Gaza.Mohammed Mahdi, who was among hundreds of Palestinians who returned to the area, described a scene of “total destruction.” He said several buildings had been burned down and that he had counted six bodies in the area, including two in the hospital courtyard.Video footage circulating online showed heavily damaged and charred buildings, mounds of dirt that had been churned up by bulldozers and patients on stretchers in darkened corridors.Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, said there were still patients, medical workers and displaced people sheltering inside the medical compound after several patients had been taken to the nearby Ahli Hospital. He said army bulldozers had plowed over a makeshift cemetery in Shifa’s courtyard.”The situation is indescribable,” he said. “The occupation destroyed all sense of life here.”Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided several medical facilities. It says it launched the raid on Shifa after Hamas and other militants had regrouped there.Health officials in Gaza deny those allegations. Critics accuse the army of recklessly endangering civilians and of decimating a health sector already overwhelmed with war-wounded. Palestinians say Israeli troops forcibly evacuated homes near Shifa Hospital in downtown Gaza City and forced hundreds of residents to march south.At least 21 patients have died since the raid began, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted late Sunday on X, formerly Twitter.He said over a hundred patients were still inside the compound, including four children and 28 critical patients. He also said there were no diapers, urine bags or water to clean wounds, and that many patients suffered from infected wounds and dehydration.The military had previously raided Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, in November, after saying Hamas maintained an elaborate command and control center inside and beneath the compound. It revealed a tunnel running beneath the hospital that led to a few rooms, as well as weapons it said it had confiscated from inside medical buildings, but nothing on the scale of what it had alleged before the raid.The war began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.Israel responded with an air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 32,782 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children have made up around two-thirds of those killed.The Israeli military says it has killed over 13,000 Hamas fighters, and blames the civilian death toll on Palestinian militants because they fight in dense residential areas.The war has displaced most of the territory’s population and driven a third of its residents to the brink of famine. Northern Gaza, where Shifa is located, has suffered vast destruction and has been largely isolated since October, leading to widespread hunger.Israel said late last year that it had largely dismantled Hamas in northern Gaza and withdrew thousands of troops. But it has battled militants there on a number of occasions since then, and the two weeks of heavy fighting around Shifa highlighted the staying power of the armed groups.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and all of the hostages are freed. He says Israel will soon expand ground operations to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.4 million people — more than half of Gaza’s population — have sought refuge.But he faces mounting pressure from Israelis who blame him for the security failures of Oct. 7 and from some families of the hostages who blame him for the failure to reach a deal despite several weeks of talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.Hamas and other militants are still believed to be holding some 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others, after freeing most of the rest during a cease-fire last November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.Tens of thousands of Israelis thronged central Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government protest since the country went to war in October. Deep divisions over Netanayahu’s leadership long predate the war, which still enjoys strong public support.

    DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip —

    The Israeli military withdrew from Gaza’s largest hospital early Monday after a two-week raid, leaving behind several bodies and a vast swath of destruction, according to Palestinian residents.

    Video above: Gaza ceasefire talks to resume in Cairo after Netanyahu greenlight

    The military has described the raid on Shifa Hospital as one of the most successful operations of the nearly six-month war. It says it killed scores of Hamas and other militants, including senior operatives, and that it seized weapons and valuable intelligence. It confirmed forces had withdrawn on Monday.

    The U.N. health agency said several patients died and dozens were put at risk during the raid, which brought even further destruction to a hospital that had already largely ceased to function. Days of heavy fighting showed that Hamas can still put up resistance even in one of the hardest-hit areas of Gaza.

    Mohammed Mahdi, who was among hundreds of Palestinians who returned to the area, described a scene of “total destruction.” He said several buildings had been burned down and that he had counted six bodies in the area, including two in the hospital courtyard.

    Video footage circulating online showed heavily damaged and charred buildings, mounds of dirt that had been churned up by bulldozers and patients on stretchers in darkened corridors.

    Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, said there were still patients, medical workers and displaced people sheltering inside the medical compound after several patients had been taken to the nearby Ahli Hospital. He said army bulldozers had plowed over a makeshift cemetery in Shifa’s courtyard.

    “The situation is indescribable,” he said. “The occupation destroyed all sense of life here.”

    Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes and has raided several medical facilities. It says it launched the raid on Shifa after Hamas and other militants had regrouped there.

    Health officials in Gaza deny those allegations. Critics accuse the army of recklessly endangering civilians and of decimating a health sector already overwhelmed with war-wounded. Palestinians say Israeli troops forcibly evacuated homes near Shifa Hospital in downtown Gaza City and forced hundreds of residents to march south.

    At least 21 patients have died since the raid began, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted late Sunday on X, formerly Twitter.

    He said over a hundred patients were still inside the compound, including four children and 28 critical patients. He also said there were no diapers, urine bags or water to clean wounds, and that many patients suffered from infected wounds and dehydration.

    The military had previously raided Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, in November, after saying Hamas maintained an elaborate command and control center inside and beneath the compound. It revealed a tunnel running beneath the hospital that led to a few rooms, as well as weapons it said it had confiscated from inside medical buildings, but nothing on the scale of what it had alleged before the raid.

    The war began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

    Israel responded with an air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 32,782 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children have made up around two-thirds of those killed.

    The Israeli military says it has killed over 13,000 Hamas fighters, and blames the civilian death toll on Palestinian militants because they fight in dense residential areas.

    The war has displaced most of the territory’s population and driven a third of its residents to the brink of famine. Northern Gaza, where Shifa is located, has suffered vast destruction and has been largely isolated since October, leading to widespread hunger.

    Israel said late last year that it had largely dismantled Hamas in northern Gaza and withdrew thousands of troops. But it has battled militants there on a number of occasions since then, and the two weeks of heavy fighting around Shifa highlighted the staying power of the armed groups.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and all of the hostages are freed. He says Israel will soon expand ground operations to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.4 million people — more than half of Gaza’s population — have sought refuge.

    But he faces mounting pressure from Israelis who blame him for the security failures of Oct. 7 and from some families of the hostages who blame him for the failure to reach a deal despite several weeks of talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

    Hamas and other militants are still believed to be holding some 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others, after freeing most of the rest during a cease-fire last November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

    Tens of thousands of Israelis thronged central Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government protest since the country went to war in October. Deep divisions over Netanayahu’s leadership long predate the war, which still enjoys strong public support.

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  • CNN visited the exposed tunnel shaft near Al-Shifa Hospital. Here’s what we saw

    CNN visited the exposed tunnel shaft near Al-Shifa Hospital. Here’s what we saw

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    Even in the darkness, the utter devastation in northern Gaza is clear as day. The empty shells of buildings, illuminated by the last shreds of light, lurch out of the landscape on the dirt roads across the Gaza Strip. At night, the only signs of life are the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) vehicles that rumble the landscape, tightening the military’s grip on the northern sector.

    On Saturday night, we traveled with the IDF into Gaza to see the newly exposed tunnel shaft discovered at the compound of Al-Shifa Hospital, the enclave’s largest medical facility.

    After crossing the border fence at around 9:00 in the evening, our convoy of Humvees turned off its lights, relying on night vision goggles to traverse the Gaza Strip. We would spend the next six hours inside Gaza, much of that time spent getting back and forth from the tunnel shaft.

    Along our path, virtually every building bore the scars of wartime damage. Many structures were destroyed entirely, while others were hardly recognizable as anything more than twisted metal. If there was life here, it had long since departed. Residents had either moved south or been killed during six weeks of war.

    Soon after crossing the border into Gaza, the convoy of Humvees turned off its lights and traveled in darkness. - Oren Liebermann/CNN

    Soon after crossing the border into Gaza, the convoy of Humvees turned off its lights and traveled in darkness. – Oren Liebermann/CNN

    Our first stop was a location on the beach where the IDF had set up a staging area. From there, we moved into armored personnel carriers with several other reporters for the last kilometer to the hospital. The only view outside came through a night-vision screen. But even in black and white, the level of destruction was shocking.

    Inside Gaza City, the skeletal remains of apartment towers and high-rise buildings packed the otherwise vacant city streets. Even if we could speak to Palestinians while embedded with the IDF, there was no one around to talk to.

    CNN reported from inside Gaza under IDF media escort at all times. As a condition for journalists to join this embed, media outlets had to submit footage filmed in Gaza to the Israeli military for review and agreed not to reveal sensitive locations and soldiers’ identities. CNN retained editorial control over the final report.

    As we stepped out of the armored vehicle, we were enveloped by utter darkness. We were only allowed to use our red lights to navigate to a nearby building, where we waited until Israeli forces already on the ground secured the area. The tunnel shaft was very close by, but it was entirely exposed.

    The commander in charge of our group, Lt. Col. Tom said this tunnel is significantly larger than others he had seen before. “This is a big tunnel,” he said. “I have encountered tunnels — in 2014 in [Operation] Protective Edge, I was a company commander — and this tunnel is an order of magnitude bigger than a standard tunnel.”

    We had expected to hear fighting once we entered Gaza City itself. Instead, we heard almost complete silence. Only once during our roughly 45 minutes at the hospital did we hear the distant sound of small arms fire, and it was impossible to tell how far away it was in the midst of an urban environment. The rest of the time, the silence made the darkness feel even more oppressive.

    The only view of the destruction in Gaza was through a small night vision monitor in an armored personnel carrier. - Oren Liebermann/CNNThe only view of the destruction in Gaza was through a small night vision monitor in an armored personnel carrier. - Oren Liebermann/CNN

    The only view of the destruction in Gaza was through a small night vision monitor in an armored personnel carrier. – Oren Liebermann/CNN

    It was nearing midnight as we walked the last few feet to the exposed tunnel shaft. The IDF had promised “concrete evidence” that Hamas was using the hospital complex above ground as cover for what it called terror infrastructure underneath, including a command and control hub.

    Several days earlier, the IDF had released what it said was the first batch of evidence, which included weapons and ammunition they said they found inside the hospital itself. But the pictures were a far cry from proving that Hamas had a facility underneath, and a CNN investigation found that some of the guns had been moved around.

    The discovery of the tunnel shaft the next day was more compelling, showing an entrance to something underground. But even then, it was unclear what it was or how far down it went. This is what everyone has been trying to understand.

    Standing on the edge of the tunnel shaft, it was apparent that the structure itself was substantial. At the top, the remains of a ladder hung over the lip of the opening. In the center of the round shaft, a center pole looked like a hub for a spiral staircase. The shaft itself extended down farther than we could see, especially in the meager light of our headlamps.

    Video released by the IDF from inside the shaft showed what we could not see from the top of the opening. The video shows a spiral staircase leading down into a concrete tunnel. The IDF said the tunnel shaft extends downwards approximately 10 meters and the tunnel runs for 55 meters. At its end stands a metal door with a small window.

    “We need to demolish the underground facility that we found,” said IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari. “I think the leadership of Hamas is in great pressure because we found this facility, and we are now going to demolish it. It’s going to take us time. We’re going to do it safely, but we’re going to do it.”

    It is arguably the most compelling evidence thus far that the IDF has offered that there may be a network of tunnels below the hospital. It does not establish without a doubt that there is a command center under Gaza’s largest hospital, but it is clear that there is a tunnel down below. Seeing what connects to that tunnel is absolutely critical.

    For Israel, the stakes could not be higher. Israel has publicly asserted for weeks, if not years, that Hamas has built terror infrastructure below the hospital. The ability to continue to prosecute the war in the face of mounting international criticism depends to a large extent on Israel being able to prove this point.

    Hamas has repeatedly denied that there is a network of tunnels below Shifa hospital. Health officials who have spoken with CNN have said the same, insisting it is only a medical facility.

    As is so rarely the case in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this answer truly is black and white. Either there is an underground series of tunnels below the hospital. Or there is not.

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  • Israel Latest: Military Says Video Shows Tunnel Under Hospital

    Israel Latest: Military Says Video Shows Tunnel Under Hospital

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    (Bloomberg) — Israel released video it says proves its assertion of a Hamas tunnel beneath Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital, which the military raided last week amid broad international criticism. The footage shows an opening to a fortified tunnel that the military said is 10 meters (33 feet) deep and 55 meters long leading to a blast-proof door.

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    A deal for Hamas to release hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel may be the closest yet and would require a multiday pause in the fighting, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said.

    Israel’s government said on Sunday that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, endangering a key global shipping route. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 13,000, Hamas said.

    For more stories on the Israel-Hamas war, click here.

    (All times are Israeli time)

    Israeli Cabinet Expected to Discuss Hostage Deal, Ynet Says (10:28 p.m.)

    Israel’s cabinet is expected to discuss negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas, Ynet reported. Prior to the Sunday night meeting, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s office released photographs of him surrounded by officials involved in the negotiations, including the head of the Mossad intelligence agency, the news website said. An Israeli official said that a deal isn’t expected today, Ynet reported.

    Hamas Chief Returns to Hostage Talks, Axios Reports (9:42 p.m.)

    Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, has re-engaged in talks on a hostage release, Axios reported. He’s agreed in principle to increase the number of women and children to be freed to more than 50, Axios said, citing three unnamed sources. Sinwar wants in return the release of all Palestinian women and children in Israeli prisons and a six-hour daily halt in Israeli aerial surveillance of Gaza during a pause in fighting.

    Axios quoted two of the sources as saying that Qatari mediators have narrowed the differences but not enough for a deal.

    Israel Says Hostage Was Killed in Shifa Hospital Complex (9:10 p.m.)

    An Israeli hostage, whose body was recovered a few days ago in Gaza, was taken alive by Hamas to Shifa Hospital and killed there, Israel Defense Forces Spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing. Hagari also presented camera footage that showed that two non-Israeli hostages, a Nepali and a Thai, were taken to Shifa Hospital by gunmen on Oct. 7. An additional photograph showed that an Israeli military vehicle that was stolen during the attack was taken to Shifa Hospital.

    “These findings add to previous evidence presented regarding Hamas’ use of the hospital area as infrastructure for its terrorist activities in a systematic and ongoing manner,” the IDF said.

    Palestinian Death Toll Rises Above 13,000, Hamas Says (8:30 p.m.)

    The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 13,000, the Hamas-run government media office said.

    More than 5,500 children are among the dead and more than 6,000 people are reported missing or trapped under rubble. Injuries exceed 30,000.

    Israel Says It Arrested Over 100 Hamas Operatives in Gaza (8:02 p.m.)

    Israeli troops have arrested more than 100 Hamas operatives in Gaza and transferred them to Israel for questioning, the military said. Three took part in the Oct. 7 massacre. The Hamas militants disclosed the locations of underground tunnels, storage compounds and weaponry, as well as operating methods used by the organization.

    Israel Says Iran-Backed Rebels Seize Cargo Ship (7:57 p.m.)

    Israel’s government said on Sunday that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen hijacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, endangering a key global shipping route.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned the seizure of what it said was a vessel owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm, without naming either of those.

    The vessel, named Galaxy Leader, is owned by Israeli businessman Rami Ungar, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is registered in the UK.

    Israeli Army Says It Uncovered Fortified Tunnel Under Al-Shifa Hospital (7 p.m.)

    Israel said it has exposed a 10-meter deep, 55-meter-long fortified tunnel underneath the Shifa hospital complex.

    The Israel Defense Forces released a video showing a deep staircase leading to the entrance to the tunnel shaft. The tunnel leads to a blast-proof door with a firing hole. This type of door is used by Hamas to block Israeli forces from entering the command centers and the underground assets belonging to Hamas, the military said. Forces are continuing to uncover the route of the tunnel, it said.

    The tunnel shaft was uncovered in the area of the hospital under a shed alongside a vehicle containing numerous weapons including RPGs, explosives and Kalashnikov rifles, the IDF said.

    Hostage Deal is Closer, Biden Aide Says (4 p.m.)

    An agreement for Hamas to release hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel may be the closest yet and would require a multiday pause in the fighting in Gaza, US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer said.

    Read more: Deal to Free Hamas Hostages Has Gotten Closer, Biden Aide Says

    UNRWA Estimates Gaza Needs 160,000 Liters of Fuel Daily (2 p.m.)

    Gaza needs 160,000 liters (42,000 gallons) of fuel daily to maintain “a reasonable level of humanitarian services,” said Adnan Abu Hassna, United Nations Relief and Works Agency spokesman.

    The fuel is needed for water desalination, sewage treatment plants, wells and hospitals, as well as hundreds of vehicles for UNRWA’s operations. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, according to OCHA.

    Hundreds of Gaza Cancer Patients Will Head to Turkey (1:35 p.m.)

    Some 351 cancer patients in Gaza will travel to Turkey to resume treatment, the Hamas-run health ministry said.

    The patients had been receiving treatment at the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only oncology hospital in Gaza, which was shut down shortly after the start of Israel’s ground assault.

    Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said it evacuated 31 premature babies from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza in coordination with the World Health Organization and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. They’ll be transferred to a UAE-run hospital in the Egyptian border city of Rafah.

    Iran’s Khamenei Repeats Call to Isolate Israel (12:35 p.m.)

    Iran’s Supreme Leader urged Muslim countries to cut off diplomatic ties with Israel “at least for a limited time.”

    “Some Muslim states have ostensibly condemned Israel in conventions and some haven’t, but this is unacceptable,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday, according to his Telegram account. “The principal task is to cut off Israel’s lifelines, and Muslim governments must stop the supply of energy and goods to this regime.”

    Qatar Sees ‘Good Progress’ in Reaching a Hostage Deal (11:36 a.m.)

    Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said there’s been “good progress” in the past few days on reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages.

    Al Thani, who’s also the foreign minister, said he’s “more confident” about sealing a deal, with the remaining challenges “practical and logistical.” He spoke at a joint press conference with European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell.

    Israel Says It Raids Residences of Senior Hamas Officials in Gaza (11 a.m.)

    Israeli paratroopers and other forces operated in the Sheikh Ijlin and Rimal areas of northern Gaza “in order to identify and destroy Hamas infrastructure and assets,” the defense force said in an operational update.

    “The soldiers located approximately 35 tunnel shafts as well as a large number of weapons and eliminated terrorists,” according to the update. “Embedded in the Rimal area are the residences of senior Hamas officials.”

    The troops also located a military base belonging to Hamas’s military intelligence unit, as well as ammunition depots and seven rocket launchers. Israel’s claims can’t be independently verified.

    Israeli Forces Engage Enemies in North and South (9 a.m.)

    Israel’s air, sea and land forces fought enemies on two fronts early Sunday, destroying infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon and that of Hamas in Gaza, the military said.

    Air-raid sirens blared in Israel’s southern and northern towns, while mortar shell launches from Lebanon fell in open areas. Hezbollah said it attacked two Israeli sites, the Iran-backed militant group’s Al Manar TV reported.

    About 2,500 People Vacated Al Shifa Hospital, OCHA Says (3:11 a.m.)

    Some 2,500 internally displaced persons, along with patients and staff, vacated Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital on Nov. 18, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. That followed orders from Israel’s military, which continued its operations within the compound for a fourth consecutive day, OCHA said.

    About 123,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt on Nov. 18, according to the UN agency. Israel said it would allow entry of nearly 70,000 liters of fuel per day, which “is well below the minimum requirements for essential humanitarian operations,” according to OCHA.

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