TEL AVIV, March 21. /TASS/. The Israeli military has apprehended at least 600 suspected terrorists and eliminated 140 militants in an operation at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, according to a joint statement by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Securities Authority (ISA).

"This week, troops under the command of the 162nd Division led the special operation at the Shifa Hospital. <...> Approximately 600 terrorists have been apprehended thus far, and more than 140 terrorists have been eliminated in encounters. Several weapons and intelligence documents that contribute to the ongoing combat were discovered during searches in the hospital," the statement reads.

"The Islamic Jihad operatives in the hospital complex surrendered themselves to the troops, among them senior officials who were transferred to the ISA for further investigation," the document added.

"The fighting in the area of the hospital continues <...>. The forces are continuing to operate in and to search the area," the IDF and the ISA pointed out.

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7, 2023, after militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border communities and taking over 240 people hostage. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on targets in the Strip, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.