The Israeli military has withdrawn from Gaza’s main hospital after a two-week raid, claiming to have killed approximately 200 militants in close-quarters combat and detained hundreds.
Upon their return on Monday, Palestinians found Shifa Hospital, once Gaza's largest medical center, heavily damaged with bodies inside and outside, including those of doctors.
Israel attributed the destruction to Hamas.
In a separate development, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported that two of its generals and five officers were killed in a strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
This strike indicates a possible escalation of Israel’s targeting of Iranian military officials and their allies in Syria, although Israel has not commented on the matter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to immediately shut down Qatari-owned satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera after Israel’s parliament passed a law allowing the country to halt the channel's broadcasts from Israel.
Additionally, a second shipment of food aid has arrived off Gaza’s coast, testing a new maritime route from Cyprus. One-third of Gaza’s residents are reportedly on the brink of famine.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israel’s war in Gaza has resulted in at least 32,845 Palestinian deaths.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but states that women and children make up two-thirds of the casualties.
Meanwhile:
— U.S. and Israeli officials are scheduled to hold virtual talks regarding their dispute over a Rafah military operation.
— Palestinians report that Israeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza’s main hospital after the two-week raid.
— Israelis staged their largest protest since the war began, increasing pressure on Netanyahu.
— The U.S. military announced the destruction of Houthi drones over the Red Sea and in Yemen.
— Despite health concerns, the Pope presided over Easter Mass, appealing for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
Regarding United Nations actions, the president of the U.N. Security Council announced that Palestinians are expected to send a letter in the next few days outlining their request for full membership in the United Nations. Malta, which took over the rotating presidency, stated that once the letter is received, it will be shared with council members for discussion in a closed meeting.
France has circulated a proposed new U.N. resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages seized during Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Furthermore, the United Nations is planning a mission to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to help Palestinians receive medical attention and assess the hospital's condition after Israel’s two-week raid.
Stark before-and-after images of Gaza’s largest hospital and surrounding neighborhoods vividly show the devastation after the Israeli military's raid.
The hospital's main buildings have been reduced to burned-out husks, and entire blocks of nearby apartment buildings are flattened.
In Syria, Iranian officials stated that seven of its members were killed in an airstrike that struck Iran’s consulate in Damascus. Syrian officials and state media attributed the attack to Israel.
In Israel, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews blocked a major highway in central Israel, protesting against mandatory enlistment in Israel’s military by chaining themselves together during rush hour.
American and Israeli officials are planning talks to discuss the potential expansion of Israel’s war against Hamas to the southernmost Gaza city of Rafah, which the U.S.
opposes on humanitarian grounds due to the large number of civilians sheltering there.
Ships carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid have approached Gaza, carrying enough ready-to-eat items to prepare more than 1 million meals.
Dates, traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during Ramadan, are also part of the aid.
The Israeli military reported that a “suspicious aerial target” struck a military base in the southern city of Eilat, causing light damage to a building.
An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias claimed responsibility.
Additionally, an Israeli Supreme Court decision regarding military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews has gone into effect, freezing funding to Jewish seminaries whose students have not been drafted into the military.
Israeli police arrested a relative of a senior Hamas leader in a raid on her home in the country’s south, suspected of contacts with Hamas members and support for terror acts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent successful hernia surgery, according to his office.
Palestinian residents report that Israeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza’s main hospital after a two-week raid, leaving behind extensive destruction.
Residents found bodies inside and outside the facility upon their return. Hamas has not yet commented on the withdrawal.