Israel justifies attacks saying they are on Hamas bunkers and infrastructure in the area but the assault comes with diplomatic risks
Establishing control over al-Shifa hospital is a key Israeli objective for military and political reasons. The sprawling complex dominates the centre of Gaza City, where Hamas has much of its administrative infrastructure, and is close to the main north-south road that runs along the coast.
Destroying the ability of Hamas to govern Gaza is one of the stated aims of the Israeli offensive.
“In this war we have to dismantle the elements of Hamas that will prevent Hamas from becoming a military threat again or a government again,” said Prof Kobi Michael of the Institute of National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
“We cannot deal with the ideology by bombing or shooting. This requires different means … It is not connected to the immediate objectives of this war. Right now we have to deal with the military and political entity.”
However, as crucial as Israel feels the operation is, it is also fraught with diplomatic risk. The United States had no wish to see “innocent civilians” caught up in fighting in Gaza’s healthcare facilities, a senior US official said on Sunday.
“The United States does not want to see firefights in hospitals where innocent people, patients receiving medical care, are caught in the crossfire and we’ve had active consultations with the Israeli Defence Forces on this,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CBS News in an interview.
