Gaza hospital 'coming under bombardment' after Hamas says airstrikes kill 13

The Israeli military is surrounding the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza as horrific video emerges of Palestinian civilians blown to bits in the blasts.

A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO) today said that the al-Shifa hospital is "coming under bombardment" this morning. Another 20 hospitals in the territory are completely out of function, according to reports.

Al Jazeera says that the hospital has 5,000 patients being treated, with an additional 800 waiting to be admitted. There are also thousands of civilians sheltering at al-Shifa, reports say.

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A video taken at al-Shifa shows sheltering Palestinians being awoken by Israeli bombs raining on the hospital (Hamza_a96/Twitter)

It comes as a number of different hospitals claim to be sustaining strikes in the Israeli onslaught. Al Arabiya reported that the IDF rolled its tanks into the vicinity of Hospital Square in Gaza City, where four hospitals are located, and began pummelling them with munitions. Other reports say the hospitals were hit in airstrikes.

Israel admits ‘serious failures’ over deadly strike but insists aid workers were mistaken for Hamas

One chilling video shows an Israeli tank outside the children's hospital. Israeli troops have been using loudhailers to order anyone who isn't medical staff or a patient inside the Al-Rantisi Paediatric Hospital to leave, according to BBC.

Since the start of the conflict, Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas militants of launching their operations from hospitals in the besieged Strip.

In one graphic and horrific video being shared on social media, which has now been verified by news agencies, dead and wounded civilians, including children, can be seen sprawled around the grounds of the hospital. Another shows a blood splat on the floor after a man was torn off in a blast.

There are no excuses for targeting civilian hospitals, according to the Geneva Convention (Hamza_a96/Twitter)

A spokesperson for the Gazan health ministry said the strike targeted a car inside the hospital complex. There were multiple casualties, the ministry added, but said the exact number is as yet unclear.

Israel has not yet commented on the video.

One of the most basic rules of international humanitarian law is that hospitals, health institutions and similar facilites must not be targeted, which is found in Articles 18 and 19 of the First Geneva Convention.

A Palestinian woman injured in an Israeli strike are rushed to the Al-Shifa hospital on November 6 (APAImages/REX/Shutterstock)

In the Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 18, special protection was awarded to civilian hospitals. Under no circumstances can they be targeted and their protection must be respected at all times in conflict.

In the 19th clause, it adds that "this protection for civilian hospitals may not be suspended” under any circumstances, meaning that Israel's claims of Hamas hiding there would not be a legal defence.