In a tense turn of events, Israeli military forces have taken control of Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa Hospital, and have ordered the evacuation of patients, staff, and displaced people. Health officials announced on Saturday that only a limited number of medical personnel remained to care for those who were too sick to be moved.

The military raided the sprawling Al-Shifa Hospital complex on Wednesday, claiming that there was evidence of an underground Hamas command center within the facility. Israeli forces have been meticulously searching the hospital floor by floor and room by room for any presence of Hamas fighters or evidence supporting their claims. U.S. officials have also alleged the existence of a Hamas command center, although both the military group and hospital staff deny these allegations.

Israel's assertion that Hamas has embedded itself in civilian areas and hospitals has been a key factor in their justifications for the large-scale military campaign initiated after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7th.

The Israeli military released a statement on Saturday saying that they had been requested by the hospital director to assist in the secure evacuation of those who wished to leave. According to the military, they did not mandate the evacuation, allowing medical personnel to stay to provide support and care for patients unable to be relocated.

However, the spokesman for the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, Medhat Abbas, claimed that the military had given the hospital only one hour to evacuate all individuals. Despite efforts to complete the evacuation, Dr. Ahmed Mokhallalati, a physician at Shifa, revealed on social media that approximately 120 patients, including those in intensive care and premature babies, remained in the hospital with only a limited number of doctors to attend to their needs.

The whereabouts of those who left the hospital remain unknown, with a significant portion of Gaza's hospitals non-functional due to fuel shortages, damages, and other various issues. The World Health Operation reported that only 11 out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza were partially operational.

The departure from Al-Shifa Hospital occurred on the same day that internet and phone services were restored in the Gaza Strip after a telecommunications blackout. The blackout had forced the United Nations to suspend critical humanitarian aid deliveries.

Meanwhile, Israel has continued to intensify its offensive in Gaza City. The military issued a social media post in Arabic urging residents of two neighborhoods in the east and north, as well as the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya, to evacuate for their safety. The military announced a brief pause in military activities to facilitate the evacuation. Israeli Defense Minister had previously stated that operations in the western part of Gaza City were completed.

In the southern part of the Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes persisted, targeting a residential building on the outskirts of Khan Younis. According to Dr. Nehad Taeima at Nasser Hospital, at least 26 Palestinians were killed and 20 others wounded in the strike.

Israel rarely comments on specific strikes, simply stating that their aim is to target Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians. However, it has been reported that women and children have been among the casualties in several Israeli airstrikes.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured on Thursday that Israel would strive to complete its operation in Gaza with minimal civilian casualties. He placed the blame for the ongoing violence squarely on Hamas, which he referred to as a "theological, mad cult." Netanyahu accused Hamas of deliberately using Palestinian civilians as human shields by trapping them behind their fighters.

Due to Israel's calls to evacuate Gaza City and the north, a significant portion of the population, including hundreds of thousands of people, have sought shelter in the south to avoid the ongoing ground offensive.