“We have the proof”
Israel finds Hamas command center during Al-Shifa storming
November 15, 2023, 9:51 p.m
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Israel’s armed forces suspect Hamas headquarters in hospitals in the Gaza Strip. When the soldiers stormed the Al-Shifa Hospital, they found what they were looking for.
When the Israeli army stormed the Al-Shifa hospital in the city of Gaza, it said it discovered weapons, military technology, intelligence material and a Hamas command center. An “operational headquarters” of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization with communications equipment was found in the clinic, said army spokesman Daniel Hagari.
However, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said in a statement published at the same time that the Israeli army had not discovered any weapons or other military equipment in the hospital. The ministry stressed that it does not allow the storage of such material in hospitals.
For his part, Israeli army spokesman Hagari emphasized: “We have proof that the hospital served military and terrorist purposes in contradiction to international law.” The storming of the hospital sparked international criticism.
“Precise and targeted” military operations
Israeli soldiers entered Al-Shifa Hospital on Wednesday night. The Israeli army spoke of a “precise and targeted” military operation against Hamas. Even before the operation, the Israeli army had said that Hamas had set up a command center in tunnels under the hospital – an assessment shared by the US and rejected by Hamas.
According to a reporter on site, the Israeli army ended its operation within the hospital grounds on Wednesday evening. Soldiers and tanks of the Israeli army left the area and took up positions around the facility, reported the journalist who works with the AFP news agency.
Dozens of civilians interrogated
During the storming, the partially masked Israeli soldiers interrogated dozens of civilians, some of whom were stripped down to their underwear, reported the journalist in contact with AFP. According to him, the people were released when the Israeli army withdrew.
The Israeli army launched its attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip in response to a brutal Hamas attack more than a month ago. On October 7, hundreds of Hamas fighters entered Israel and committed atrocities, mostly against civilians. According to Israeli information, around 1,200 people were killed in Israel and around 240 people were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip.
According to Hamas’ latest figures, which cannot be independently verified, around 11,500 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli attacks began.