Israeli military says it killed Hamas fighters "embedded" among civilians at Gaza’s Al-Quds Hospital

The Israeli military said on Monday it had killed a group of Hamas fighters “embedded” among civilians at Gaza’s Al-Quds Hospital after its troops were fired on from the hospital entrance.  

“During operations carried out by the 188th Brigade, RPG fire and small arms fire were directed at the soldiers from the direction of the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. “The shooting was carried out by a terrorist squad that had embedded itself within a group of civilians at the entrance of the hospital.” 

The IDF said its forces fired towards the fighters, some of whom were killed in the exchange. 

“During the incident, approximately 21 terrorists were killed and there were no casualties to our forces,” the IDF said. 

CNN cannot confirm whether any civilians were injured during the firefight. 

The IDF also sent journalists what it said was a video of a man carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher at the entrance to the hospital and aerial footage purporting to show an RPG being launched at an IDF tank. “After the terrorists fired RPGs, they returned to hide in the hospital,” it said.  

The Al Quds hospital is the second largest medical facility in the Gaza Strip and is no longer operational because of the lack of fuel and electricity. 

Earlier Monday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) had said “intense gunfire” was continuing in the vicinity of the Al-Quds hospital. A convoy accompanied by the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to evacuate patients and staff from Al Quds Hospital had to turn back because of the "relentless bombardment and dangerous situation” in the area, the PRCS said.