Israeli military says special forces operating inside Nasser Hospital

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it is carrying out a "precise operation" in Gaza's Nasser Hospital, the biggest functioning hospital in the besieged enclave, following alleged intelligence that hostages were being held there.

The Israeli army claimed to have credible intelligence from a number of sources, including released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser Hospital and that there may be bodies of some hostages in the hospital facility.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said in a statement that Israel had forced out displaced people and families of medical staff sheltering in the hospital, and there are still a large number of patients unable to evacuate from the hospital.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said the Israeli attacks on Nasser Hospital repeated "the horrific crimes that occurred in other hospitals in Gaza, including the Shifa Medical Complex, when it forced the displaced people to evacuate and targeted them with fire and arrested them."

She said Nasser Hospital, which had been under siege for 25 consecutive days, hosted 300 health personnel, 450 patients and wounded, and more than 10,000 displaced people.

The UN humanitarian office said on Wednesday that Nasser Hospital was besieged by Israeli forces with allegations of sniper fire at the facility, endangering the lives of medics, patients and thousands of displaced people.

The medical charity Medicins San Frontieres said people ordered by Israel to evacuate the hospital faced an impossible choice: to stay "and become a potential target" or leave "into an apocalyptic landscape" of bombings.

The raid into the hospital comes as Israel faces growing international pressure to show restraint in its Gaza military operation after vowing to press its offensive into Rafah, the last relatively safe place for civilians in the enclave.

Attacks on medical facilities in Gaza have caused particular concern throughout the conflict, including Israeli raids on hospitals in other cities, shelling in the vicinity of hospitals and the targeting of ambulances.

As massive bombardment destroyed swathes of residential districts and forced most people from their homes, hospitals quickly became the focus of displaced camps as people sought shelter around buildings they thought were more likely to be safe.

(With input from agencies)