By Chris Steyn
Hamas is running its terror operations from inside and under hospitals in Gaza.
That is according to Israeli Defence Force (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
He has released intelligence to show how Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres, as well as hideouts for terrorists and commanders.
“Right now, terrorists move freely in Shifa Hospital, and other hospitals in Gaza. We have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide there after the massacre of October 7th,” he says.
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City is the biggest hospital in Gaza with 1,500 beds and 4,000 staff.
“Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa Hospital, and other hospitals in Gaza with terror tunnels. Hamas also has an entrance to those terror tunnels from inside the hospital wards. Meaning, from different places in the hospital you can go into an underground tunnel that will provide you shelter,” Hagari says.
He says this not only endangers the lives of Israeli civilians, but also exploits innocent Gazan civilians as human shields.
He adds that Hamas does so “precisely because they know the IDF distinguishes between terrorists and civilians”.
But he warns: “When medical facilities are used for terror purposes, they are liable to lose their protection from attack in accordance with international law.”
However, he says the IDF will continue making efforts to “minimise harm to civilian populations and continue to act in accordance with international law”.
He points out that, for over two weeks, the IDF has called and continues to call on civilians of northern Gaza and Gaza City to temporarily move for their own safety south to Wadi Gaza.
“We are continuing to assist the efforts led by Egypt and the United States to provide a humanitarian effort in this area that will have food, water and medicine for the people of Gaza. We will increase this humanitarian effort.”
Watch, read, and listen:
- A recording of a call confirming the presence of the Hamas headquarters at Shifa Hospital: https://bit.ly/478YW2G
- An animated infographic showing the Shifa hospital and Hamas’ use of energy allocated to the civilian population for its own needs: https://bit.ly/3si5RYB
- A 3D illustration of the Shifa hospital: :https://bit.ly/40bWSVA
- A recording of a call between an IDF officer and a senior official in the energy industry in the Gaza Strip: https://bit.ly/3FAgNnB
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