Palestinians describe heavy destruction, forced marches in ongoing Israeli raid around Gaza hospital
By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinians who fled during an ongoing Israeli raid in and around the Gaza Strip’s main hospital describe days of heavy fighting, mass arrests and forced marches past dead bodies and flattened buildings. The Israeli military says it has killed over 170 militants and detained some 480 suspects in the raid on Shifa Hospital that began last Monday. It portrays the raid as a heavy blow to Hamas and other armed groups that it says had regrouped in the medical compound. But the heavy fighting has also highlighted the resilience of Palestinian armed groups in an isolated and heavily destroyed part of Gaza where troops have been forced to return after launching a similar raid back in November.