Israeli officials claimed they found “concrete evidence” Hamas was operating a military facility under al Shifa hospital during their overnight raid – as the military released photos Wednesday showing caches of weapons and combat equipment found during the search.
The IDF conducted a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas” Tuesday night inside the hospital complex, which houses more than 600 patients, 600 staff and thousands of refugees displaced by the war.
The Israeli army claimed it killed several Hamas gunmen during the raid and found a cache of weapons hidden around the MRI lab, including automatic weapons, grenades, ammunition and flak jackets.
A laptop was also found and taken to study.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the raid was an “operational necessity” to sniff out the alleged Hamas headquarters under the hospital.
“The assets in this Shifa hospital, just like in Rantissi, prove that the hospital has been used for military purposes for terrorism, in direct violation of international law,” said Hagari.
Weapons and equipment that the Israeli army said were found in Al Shifa hospital. via REUTERS
Israeli soldiers entered the Rantissi children’s hospital on Monday, then released a video showing what it said were weapons kept by Hamas in the basement of the building.
“These weapons have absolutely no business being in the hospital,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, in a video showing the stockpile recovered from Al Shifa, added that he believed the material was “just the tip of the iceberg. .”
The military made no mention on Wednesday of finding any tunnel entrances in Al Shifa. It previously said that Hamas had built a network of tunnels under the hospital.
Independent reports have yet to confirm Israel’s claims and details of the operations carried out inside the hospital.
Israeli soldiers inspect the Al Shifa hospital complex in Gaza City, November 15, 2023 via REUTERS
The allegations against Hamas, however, were echoed by Dave Harden – a former USAID mission director who worked in the West Bank and Gaza – who tweeted on Wednesday that intelligence officials learned of the base’s existence under the hospital nine years ago.
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“When I was in the seat, it was widely suspected/understood as of 2014 that Hamas was using the Al Shifa Hospital complex as a command center and base for operations,” Harden wrote.
“I have no direct proof, but it is recognized by both Palestinians and Israelis who are trusted in my network,” he added.
An Israeli soldier shows equipment they say was found at Al Shifa hospital. via REUTERS Weapons the Israeli military said were found. via REUTERS
The IDF raid on the hospital ended before noon on Wednesday, with the Israeli army also sending stacks of boxes marked “Medical Supplies” to the facility, which has long struggled to treat its patients since the outbreak of war on October 7.
Supplies including incubators for newborns, baby food, and other hospital necessities ran out following the attack around the site that took place over the weekend.
The IDF revealed it had found an operational command center, weapons, and technological assets found in the Shifa Hospital MRI building in Gaza City. via REUTERS Following the raid, the IDF sent boxes of medical supplies to the struggling hospital. via REUTERS Weapons lie on shelves, which the Israeli army says is located at Shifa Hospital. via REUTERS
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A lot of attention has been given to the 36 babies in the hospital who need neonatal care after three babies were reported dead during the conflict in al-Shifa.
The IDF said Arabic-speaking medical and military teams were at the hospital to communicate with staff and patients “to ensure these supplies reach those in need.”
The lives of 36 newborns are at stake inside the hospital as doctors struggle to provide for the babies amid gunfire and power outages. via REUTERS
Hamas and hospital officials have repeatedly claimed that there is no command post under al Shifa, with the terror group blaming the US for giving the Jewish state the “green light” to attack the hospital after US officials continued to support Israel’s claims.
Palestinian Health Minister Dr. Mai Al-Kaila, whose party opposes Hamas, condemned the raid as “a new crime against humanity, medical personnel and patients.”
Al-Kaila added, the hospital was not given the right time to prepare for the raid inside the hospital.
The IDF said it found a cache of Hamas weapons at the Rantisi Children’s Hospital. The IDF Army also found a motorcycle belonging to Hamas inside the children’s medical facility. IDF
The US, however, has blamed Hamas for the situation at the hospital, with White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby telling reporters Wednesday that the terrorists chose to set up their base inside Gaza’s largest hospital complex.
“What Hamas did… It’s a violation of the laws of war to put yourself in a hospital,” Kirby said.
The fighting inside al Shifa was largely condemned by humanitarian groups, with United Nations emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths saying he was “shocked” by news of the raid.
“The protection of newborns, patients, medical personnel, and all members of the public must trump all other concerns. Hospitals are not battlefields,” Griffiths wrote in X.
Omar Zaqout, supervisor of the hospital’s ER department, said he had been in contact with doctors inside al-Shifa who described the commotion throughout the medical center.
“We don’t know what’s going on outside, all we hear are explosions, gunshots, elderly people screaming, and children crying,” Zaqout told CNN.
With Postal wire
Israeli and US intelligence indicates the presence of a Hamas command post under the largest hospital in Gaza City.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
