Smoke rises as displaced Palestinians take shelter at Al Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, November 8, 2023.
Israel has not outlined its possible plans for the hospital but has said its top priority is dismantling Hamas' command infrastructure.
Any Israeli attempt to seize Al Shifa, where video Reuters obtained this week showed medics scrambling to treat an influx of injured people, would risk heavy civilian losses and could trigger an international outcry.
On Thursday residents of Gaza City saw Israeli tanks about 1.2 kilometre (3/4 mile) from Al Shifa Hospital, the biggest medical facility in the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza," the spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said last month.
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