New details were revealed on Thursday about this week’s IDF operation inside the Shifa Hospital compound in Gaza. According to reports, the IDF waited with the operation in Shifa to numb the many hundreds of terrorists who were regrouping inside, a kind of Roach Motel action. Finally, when the forces attacked swiftly, surrounding and breaching the hospital in a very short time, they surprised Hamas and caught as many as 650 terrorists.
כוחות צה״ל ושב״כ, בהובלת אוגדה 162, צוות הקרב החטיבתי 401, וכוחות שייטת 13 ממשיכים לפעול בבית החולים שיפפא׳ לסיכול טרור באופן ממוקד.
בבית החולים אותרו כספי טרור שיועדו לחלוקה לפעילי טרור של חמאס בתוך בית החולים>> pic.twitter.com/UiTkRinlaz
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 18, 2024
The IDF and Shin Bet forces, led by the 162nd Division, the 401st Brigade Combat Team, and the Shayetet 13 special force carried out the operation. Terrorist funds were found in the hospital that were intended to be distributed to Hamas terrorists.
Senior IDF officials said that the divisional operation had been maturing for close to a month before the order to go in was given. “We numbed the area for three weeks, to carry out a surprise raid,” they said. So far, about 650 terrorists have been arrested, some with blood on their hands. One of the terrorists admitted during his interrogation that he killed four soldiers and kidnapped another ten to the Gaza Strip on October 7.
The IDF is stressing that the operation is not yet close to being exhausted and that they are looking for more fat cats inside the hospital compound, where behind every curtain another gold mine of terrorists and terror assets is discovered. The IDF estimates that the operation may continue into the beginning of next week.
The current estimate is that there are 50 terrorists left in the area, among them as many as 20 senior terrorists. The Islamic Jihad operatives in the area have all surrendered after realizing their choice was to capitulate or die. On the other hand, Hamas terrorists are divided into 2 groups, one raised their hands and surrendered, and the other fought and was killed.
