In the West Bank, a separate Palestinian enclave not governed by Hamas, Palestinian Authority Health Minister Mai Alkaila has said Israel was “committing a new crime against humanity, medical staff and patients by besieging” Al Shifa hospital.

“We hold the occupation forces fully responsible for the lives of the medical staff, patients and displaced people in Al Shifa,” Alkaila said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told CNN the hospital and compound were for Hamas “a central hub of their operations, perhaps even the beating heart and maybe even a centre of gravity.”

The US said on Tuesday that its own intelligence supported Israel’s conclusions.