Fighting at Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital Enters Second Week

Facts

• After launching an operation into Gaza City's al-Shifa hospital a week ago, heavy fighting is still reported in and around the complex, with the Israeli military saying it had killed over 170 Hamas militants. Videos from al-Shifa and witnesses at the scene described widespread destruction and mass arrests.¹
• Israeli forces also reportedly encircled two hospitals in Khan Younis on Monday, as the country's military has argued that Hamas uses hospitals as bases and command centers. The situation at al-Shifa is still unclear.¹
• The last week of fighting has seen several accusations of war crimes, with Al Jazeera on Friday releasing footage taken from an Israeli drone reportedly depicting four seemingly unarmed Palestinians being killed in a targeted strike as they tried to return to northern Gaza earlier in the war.²
• Al Jazeera also released testimonies alleging Israeli forces conducted "execution-style killings" and abused people at al-Shifa during the raid.³
• However, Al Jazeera seemingly retracted an allegation that Israeli forces had raped Palestinian women at al-Shifa, deleting the story from its site around 24 hours after the incident had been reported.⁴
• Israel has repeatedly denied intentionally targeting civilians, with the military arguing that the drone footage was taken in an "active combat zone" that had already been evacuated. The military has asserted that militants hide among the civilian population to launch attacks against Israeli forces.⁵

Sources: ¹NBC, ²Al Jazeera (a), ³Al Jazeera (b), ⁴The Jerusalem Post (a) and ⁵The Jerusalem Post (b).

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CBS. The US is doing everything it can to both ensure that Israel can eliminate Hamas' military capabilities and prevent regional escalation. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks, whether from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US will always support Israel in maintaining its security. However, Netanyahu is going too far with the war in Gaza, and he must be willing to follow through on his promises and compromise as needed so that another extended truce can take effect. Netanyahu must also understand that Israel only pushes Palestinians into Hamas' hands when it kills civilians.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Though the media and international agencies are more than happy to parrot Qatari-backed Hamas-adjacent propaganda, the truth is Israel is one of the few countries in the world to go as far as it does to ensure the safety of civilians. Of course, war is a tragedy that often creates situations in which individuals commit heinous acts. What makes Israel different, however, is that it actively investigates and holds accountable those who commit abuses, and the media should spend more time investigating Hamas' terrorist atrocities to which Israel has been forced to respond.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. The laundry list of Israel's crimes in Gaza grows by the day. Even if not every allegation is true, the course of this war and the sheer amount of condemning evidence clearly demonstrates a systematic policy of targeting Palestinian civilians. The international community is increasingly recognizing that Israel is guilty of the crime of genocide in Gaza, and it must be held accountable for such cruel acts.

Predictions