Israeli forces checking the facilities of Al-Shifa Hospital. Photo: FDI/Handout via Reuters.
A day and a half after violently taking control of Gaza’s largest medical complex, the Israeli army has provided little to no evidence of the ‘Hamas command center’ allegedly located under Al-Shifa Hospital
Israeli tanks and jets continued to bombard Al-Shifa Hospital on 16 November, with bulldozers destroying large sections of the medical complex as the invading forces continued their search for an alleged “Hamas command center.”
Sources inside the complex revealed on Thursday that about 200 Palestinians were taken from the complex to “unknown areas” by Israeli forces after being blindfolded and interrogated.
Heavy clashes are also reported in the vicinity of the hospital. Furthermore, civilians living near the complex say they have been unable to evacuate as Israeli snipers are targeting them.
After several days of attacks on Al-Shifa Hospital – which included cutting it off from electricity, water, and oxygen – the Israeli army was finally able to breach the medical complex overnight on Wednesday, leaving dozens dead in their wake.
Their raid came on the heels of vague allegations by US officials who “confirmed” Israeli claims that Palestinian resistance factions were using the hospital to “support their military operations and to hold hostages.”
Despite their certainty, it took nearly 24 hours for Israeli troops inside the hospital to provide the “evidence” to back up their claims.
However, all that was shown in a video published by the army and widely publicized by western media were three duffel bags the soldiers claim were found hidden in an MRI lab containing an assault rifle, grenades, Hamas uniforms, and flak jackets, as well as several assault rifles without ammunition clips, a few walkie-talkies, one laptop, two copies of the Quran, and one box of dates.
The IDF just released their first photos/videos from the Shifa Hospital after last night's raid. I count 10 guns. The IDF has claimed that the "beating heart" of Hamas' operations is beneath Shifa.
Presumably they'll release more photos/videos?https://t.co/gZjhI4WW1X pic.twitter.com/NtWcZorZMI— Aric Toler (@AricToler) November 15, 2023
“In the hospital, we found weapons, intelligence materials, and military technology and equipment,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters on Wednesday. “We also found an operational headquarters with comms equipment […] belonging to Hamas.”
As questions continue to mount about the veracity of Israel’s “intelligence,” Hagari told CNN on Thursday that the military operation at the hospital “is still underway and will take time.”
Nonetheless, nearly two days after taking control of the hospital, no evidence has been provided of either Hamas-run tunnels or a military command center. Israeli troops have continued tearing apart the hospital from the inside, however, with local reports saying the specialized surgeries building has been completely destroyed.
On Thursday afternoon, the director-general of Gaza Hospitals, Mohammed Zaqout, said officials had lost all connection with the medical staff at Al-Shifa Hospital.
“Israeli allegations about the use of the Al-Shifa Medical Complex for military purposes do not need all these long hours of searching and raiding. Therefore, there are concerns that the army may be creating an artificial scene for a new play,” Rami Abdu, the Chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, warned on Wednesday.
