WASHINGTON – The US is “confident” that Palestinian terror groups are using Gaza’s largest hospital to hold “at least some” of the hostages seized during the bloody October 7 attack and to house command infrastructure, an American intelligence assessment revealed on Tuesday and shared by US officials found. .
The assessment offered the strongest US support yet for Israel’s claims over the Shifa hospital complex, which Israeli forces stormed in November in an operation condemned by global humanitarian organizations and some members of President Biden’s party.
But the information released does not fully support some of Israel’s most important claims that the hospital serves as a center of activity by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The US official shared the assessment on condition of anonymity.
the Shifa complex was raided by Israeli forces in November and tunnels were discovered. AP
“The US Intelligence Community is confident in its judgment on this topic and has independently verified information regarding the use of the hospital complex by HAMAS and PIJ for various purposes related to its campaign against Israel,” the assessment said.
It continued that it believed the group “used the al-Shifa hospital complex and the sites beneath it to house command infrastructure, conduct certain command and control activities, store some weapons, and hold at least some hostages.”
The US believes that Hamas members moved in days before Israel stormed the compound on November 15 and that they destroyed documents and sensitive electronics before Israeli forces entered the facility.
The hospital enjoys a special protected status under the international laws of war. But they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes. Reuters
US officials have previously referred to classified intelligence, obtained independently from Israel, to offer support for Israeli raids.
Israel War Update
Get the most important developments in the region, globally and locally.
“I can confirm for you that we have information that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are using several hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including al-Shifa, and the tunnels under them to hide and support their military operations and hold hostages,” National Security. Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the day before Israel entered the hospital.
Gaza’s hospitals have played a central role in the battle narrative surrounding a war that the Hamas-run Health Ministry says has killed 22,100 people – although it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The hospital enjoys a special protected status under the international laws of war.
But they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes.
Ahead of the raid on the hospital, the Israeli army released a detailed 3D model of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital showing a series of underground installations said to be part of an elaborate Hamas command and control center beneath the region’s largest healthcare facility.
The Israeli military has yet to reveal any infrastructure nearly as vast and developed as the alleged center.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
