The Israeli military said that Hamas fighters had shot at its soldiers from within the complex and soldiers had returned fire. The Gazan Health Ministry said Israeli forces had launched missiles at the complex and fired into surgery rooms. The Israeli military also said one of its soldiers had been killed in the fighting at Al-Shifa. Israel has said that the hospital complex doubled as a secret Hamas military command center, calling it one of many examples of civilian facilities that Hamas uses to shield its activities. But the Israeli military has struggled to prove that Hamas maintained a command-and-control center under the facility.

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Persons: Daniel Hagari, “, ”, Israel, Mabhouh, Shifa, Alaa Abu, Kaas, Al Tatar, ” Mr, Hagari, Myra Noveck, Abu Bakr Bashir Organizations: Shifa, Hamas, Gazan Health Ministry, Al, ”, The New York Times Locations: Al, Gaza, Israel