Dozens of bodies found in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli military's withdrawal, claims Hamas

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza on Monday (April 1) said that after tanks and vehicles were withdrawn by the Israeli military from the Al-Shifa complex, dozens of bodies were discovered in the besieged territory's main hospital.

The operation on Al-Shifa hospital was launched by the Israeli Army on March 18 which was described as a "precise" one that targets Hamas militants, whom they accused of operating from the complex.

"Dozens of bodies, some of them decomposed, have been recovered from in and around the Al-Shifa medical complex," said the health ministry, in a statement.

The Israeli military "withdrew from the Al-Shifa medical complex after burning down the complex buildings and putting it completely out of service", it added.

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"The scale of the destruction inside the complex and the buildings around it is very large," it said.

Israeli airstrikes on Al-Aqsa hospital kill 4, fighting rages across Gaza amid truce talks

Four people were killed and 17 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Aqsa hospital in Gaza, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a post on X as United States prepares to send more bombs to Israel.

The airstrike was reported by a World Health Organization team which was present at the hospital to look into the needs and collect incubators required for the north of Gaza, Ghebreyesus wrote, adding, "WHO staff are all accounted for."

"A WHO team was on a humanitarian mission at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza when a tent camp inside the hospital compound was hit by an Israeli airstrike today. We again call for protection of patients, health personnel and humanitarian missions," he said.

"The ongoing attacks and militarisation of hospitals must stop. International humanitarian law must be respected," Ghebreyesus added.

WHO chief appealed to all the parties involved in the conflict to comply with the resolution of the UN Security Council which calls for a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, a fresh stock of bombs is being sent to Israel by the United States, confirmed two senior administration officials to NBC News.

The bombs, which are part of a weapons package that was approved long back, contain more than 1,800 Mark 84 (MK84) 2,000-pound bombs and approximately 500 Mark 82 (MK82) 500-pound bombs.

Fighting escalates in Gaza

In the past 24 hours, 77 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, said the health authorities on Sunday (Mar 31). The strikes were carried out at a time when an Israeli delegation was being hosted by Egypt to carry out a new round of truce talks with Hamas.

The Israeli military claimed that they had killed a senior Islamic Jihad militant while carrying out the strike on a command centre in the Al-Aqsa Hospital's courtyard in central Gaza.

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"The command centre and terrorists were struck precisely," the military said, adding that the strike was intended to minimise "harm to uninvolved civilians in the area of the hospital".

"The Al-Aqsa Hospital building was not damaged and its functioning was not affected," it said.

Israel says Hezbollah commander 'eliminated' in Lebanon Strike

Israel's military claimed that they had "eliminated" a Hezbollah missile unit commander on Sunday (Mar 31) in an airstrike in Lebanon.

The Israeli Air Force "struck a vehicle in the area of Kunin in Lebanon in which Ismail al-Zin was located," said the military.

"Al-Zin was a significant commander in the Anti-Tank Missile Unit of Hezbollah's Radwan Forces," it added.

The death of Al-Zin was confirmed by Hezbollah in a statement in which it was not clarified if he was part of Radwan, which is an elite unit.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant later said that the military will continue its operations against Hezbollah.

"We will make them pay a price for every attack that comes out from Lebanon," Gallant said.

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Israel submits proposal to dismantle UNRWA

Meanwhile, a proposal has been submitted by Israel to dismantle UNRWA, which is the relief agency in the Palestinian territories, and move its staff to a replacement agency to ensure large-scale food deliveries are being made in Gaza, as per media reports.

Over the weekend, Israel was rocked by protests carried out by thousands of people and the families of hostages against the government as they demanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down from his position.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.