US sounds alarm about potential attack on Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital

The US has reportedly warned Israeli officials against targeting Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza while patients and medical staff are still present.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said Israel should avoid fighting near hospitals and is having "active consultations" with the Israeli military on the issue.

Israel has escalated its targeting of hospitals and their surroundings, especially in the northern and western parts of Gaza, as its troops attempt to advance into those areas.

"The United States does not want to see firefights in hospitals, where innocent people, patients receiving medical care, are caught in the crossfire," Sullivan told CBS on Sunday.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday the U.S. has conveyed to Israel that it should avoid armed combat near hospitals in Gaza. https://t.co/IZLUQnmfmf

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 13, 2023

Sullivan also accused Hamas of violating "the laws of war" and using hospitals as a military base. This claim has been denied by Gaza authorities and medical staff.

Israel has attacked hospitals multiple times since the deadly strike on on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital on 17 October which killed almost 500 people, sparking international outrage. 

Strikes on the Al-Mahdi Maternity Hospital on Saturday night led to the deaths of two doctors and injured several people who had been taking refuge there.

A senior Israeli official told Haaretz that top US officials, including Biden and Blinken, would not provide Israel with the same unequivocal level of support it initially offered during the early stages of the conflict if significant Palestinian casualties continue.

Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed more than 11,000 civilians as the war enters its fifth week.