The Israeli military, asked for comment, said it was looking into the matter.

The Gaza health ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Qidra, told Al Jazeera that Israel “informed us that it will raid Al-Shifa hospital complex in the coming minutes.”

But he added: “The occupation did not specify whether (its forces) would enter the complex. But it said that within a few minutes it would raid the complex. We do not know how it will raid it or what mechanism will be used, nor do we know (Israel’s) intentions with the raid.”

Reuters was not able to independently confirm the situation at Al-Shifa.

Israeli forces have surrounded Al-Shifa, Gaza’s biggest hospital, after waging fierce street battles with Hamas fighters they accuse of having a command post under the complex. The US on Tuesday cited intelligence backing Israel’s assertion, but Hamas denies it.