IDF says terrorists opened fire on troops at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City

Security forces operating at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City overnight came under fire by terrorists “from within the hospital compound,” the IDF and the Shin Bet say in a statement.

Israeli security forces “returned fire and hit the terrorists,” the statement says.

Earlier, the IDF sent out an announcement that an operation at the hospital was underway amid “concrete intelligence” that Hamas operatives had regrouped at the hospital and were planning terror activity

“The IDF and the Shin Bet are now working in a targeted manner to thwart terror [activity] and arrest terrorists in the area of the Al-Shifa hospital, following intelligence information indicating the presence of terrorists in the hospital and the use of the hospital’s infrastructure to carry out terrorist acts,” the two organizations say in the statement

“As part of the activity, during the encirclement, terrorists opened fire from within the hospital compound at our forces, who returned fire and hit the terrorists. Our forces continue to operate in the area of the hospital,” the announcement reads.

Witnesses in Gaza City told AFP they saw tanks surround the hospital site.