"Explosions are shaking the buildings" after rocket fire near hospital, reporter inside Al-Shifa says

A reporter inside Gaza's largest hospital complex said intense fighting outside the facility was underway Wednesday as Israel launched a raid at Al-Shifa hospital.

“Explosions are shaking the buildings of Al-Shifa Hospital … which is besieged from all four directions, following the launching of rocket and artillery shells in the vicinity of the hospital,” Khader Al-Za’anoun a reporter for the Palestinian news agency Wafa, said in a text message to CNN. 

Israeli forces have “invaded the hospital with large numbers of soldiers and military vehicles, including tanks, armored vehicles, troop carriers, and bulldozers" and were preventing anyone from leaving, Al Za’anoun said.

Israel has claimed Hamas militants have set up a command center at Al-Shifa, an allegation denied by Hamas and hospital officials. CNN cannot verify either side's claims. Hamas said Al-Shifa is now under the control of Israeli forces.

On Wednesday, Al Za’anoun said four militants had been shot dead — but stressed that he believed the shootings happened outside the hospital complex, on a nearby street.

Medical staff inside the hospital described explosions, the sound of gunfire, and reports of interrogations taking place, with people being handcuffed and blindfolded.

Several hours before Al-Za’anoun's report, a senior Israeli defense official told reporters there had been no gun battles inside the hospital complex that he was aware of — though he acknowledged the operation was ongoing at the time.

The Israeli official confirmed several people had been interrogated in parts of the complex in which Israeli forces were operating.

“If there (is) an individual or individuals that we related to Hamas, then we will interrogate them,” the official said.

The official said there had been “no friction with patients, medical staff or injured civilians,” who, the official said, were located in a part of the hospital not part of the Israeli operation.