Medical sources have reported that Israeli forces issued evacuation orders to doctors, patients, and displaced individuals at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital. Some were reportedly compelled to leave at gunpoint. The medical facility, which had been under siege by Israeli troops for several days, is now reported to be largely deserted, with the evacuation occurring on Saturday following orders from soldiers.
But in a post on X, the Israeli army spokesperson denied giving any order, saying the “IDF 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 from Shifa Hospital towards the humanitarian crossing in the Gaza Strip via a secure axis”.
Mohammed Zaqout, the director-general of hospitals in Gaza, reiterated to Al Jazeera: “I categorically deny these false allegations [from the Israeli army] … I am telling you we were forced to leave by gunpoint.” Medical sources have reported
Al-Shifa Hospital accommodated more than 7,000 individuals, including patients in critical condition and newborns battling for their lives. According to a doctor at the hospital, the Israelis issued an evacuation order around 9 am local time, giving them just one hour to leave. However, it was deemed “impossible” to evacuate everyone within that timeframe due to a lack of ambulances and transportation means to transfer patients. This situation instigated “a great state of panic and fear” within the hospital, as reported by Al Jazeera’s Youmna ElSayed, who provided coverage from Khan Younis in southern Gaza.