Washington denies its approval of the Israeli operation in Al-Shifa Hospital

The National Security Council’s Strategic Communications Coordinator, John Kirby, confirmed on Wednesday that the United States did not give the green light to Israel to launch military operations in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “We have always been very clear with our Israeli partners about the importance of minimizing civilian casualties. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza is a legitimate and active health institution, and therefore the Israelis need to treat it with special care.”

Kirby added: “At the same time, the Israeli forces have the right to demand that Hamas fighters surrender and leave the hospital,” considering that Hamas made a deliberate decision to put innocent people between itself and the Israeli army.

Kirby’s statements came after the Israeli army carried out an operation inside Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas movement held the administration of US President Joe Biden responsible for the repercussions of the occupation army’s storming of the Shifa Medical Complex.

The movement stated in a statement, “What the United States said on Tuesday that intelligence information supported the conclusion reached by Israel that the movement was carrying out operations in Al-Shifa Hospital was the green light for the storming.”

But Kirby pointed out that the United States did not give Israel the green light to launch military operations in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, explaining that these were independent Israeli decisions that were not subject to American approval.

Press sources reported to Al-Hurra on Wednesday that the Israeli army withdrew from the entire Shifa Hospital in Gaza, after carrying out a raid that lasted about 15 hours.

The sources said that Israeli tanks are still besieging the medical complex, the largest in Gaza, which has been at the heart of the war between Israel and Hamas for several days.

Israel constantly points out that the hospital is located above one of Hamas’s headquarters. The United States said on Tuesday that it has intelligence information that supports what Israel is saying.