Al-Shifa Hospital and sheltering Palestinians under siege, November 2023
Al-Shifa Hospital Complex
Palestine Desk
summary
On November 15, 2023, Israeli forces raided Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza.
incident date
15/11/2023
coordinates
31°31'36"N, 34°27'17"E
location
Gaza City, State of Palestine
aggressor(s)
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
casualties

On November 15, 2023, Israeli forces raided Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza. Subsequent raids continued until April 1, 2024, leaving the compound heavily damaged and operations largely collapsed. Imagery and witness reporting showed destroyed medical units and structural damage across the campus. A limited medical service reportedly reopened in September 2024 despite the destruction.

Testimony describes patients, staff, and displaced civilians trapped inside; arrests and detentions within the compound; and bodies accumulating during blackout periods. Medical staff reported severe obstruction to care and the impossibility of dignified burials under fire. The scale of destruction across medical infrastructure raises serious concerns under international humanitarian law.

The Gaza team collated satellite captures through December 2024, including imagery from April 1, 2024 showing compound-wide damage. Paired with media and NGO reports, these materials document repeated incursions, destruction inconsistent with targeted strikes, and prolonged disruption of essential services.

references

• Coordinates: 31° 31′ 36″ N, 34° 27′ 17″ E (Al-Shifa Hospital campus)

• Geospatial context: Dense urban hospital complex with courtyards and service roads

• Satellite imagery from April 2024 shows extensive damage

• Media confirms graves dug in hospital grounds under siege

• Media coverage of November 2023 and March–April 2024 raids

• NGO reports on protection of hospitals under IHL

• Satellite imagery series (2023–2024)

• Survivor and staff testimonies on detentions, care obstruction, and handling of bodies

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