Israeli President Refutes Claims of Targeting Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has refuted reports that Israel is targeting Gaza's biggest hospital, Al-Shifa. According to the hospital staff, the facility has run out of electricity and is sheltering thousands of Palestinians. However, Herzog contradicted these claims, stating that everything is functioning normally at the hospital. He also mentioned that a Hamas fighter's body in northern Gaza was found with a copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, translated into Arabic, in a children's room that had been converted into a Hamas military base. Herzog believes this discovery illustrates that Hamas has embraced the ideology of hating Jews. The World Health Organization has lost communication with Al-Shifa and its personnel due to the ongoing conflict. While doctors and the Hamas-run health ministry have reported a lack of fuel hindering their operations, Herzog disputed these allegations, asserting that there is electricity and everything is functioning adequately at the hospital. Israel claims that Hamas has a base beneath the hospital, a claim which Hamas denies. Surgeon Marwan Abu Saada reported scarcity of water, food, and electricity at Al-Shifa, with the sounds of gunfire and bombings regularly heard inside the hospital. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Israel would assist in evacuating infants from Al-Shifa following the hospital administration's request. Moreover, Herzog affirmed Israel's right to self-defense, responding to calls for a ceasefire from various nations. He attributed civilian casualties in Gaza to Hamas, asserting that Israel follows the rules of international humanitarian law, warns civilians through phone calls and text messages, and provides humanitarian pauses for people to relocate to southern Gaza. The conflict has resulted in over 11,000 deaths in Gaza, while more than 1.5 million people have been displaced, according to the Hamas-run health ministry and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, respectively. Israel initiated its offensive after a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the hostage-taking of 200 others in southern Israel. The fighting in Gaza has been intense, extending from the northern part of the enclave to the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis.