The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has published a video on social media in which it was reported that Israeli troops have successfully seized countless Hamas weapons inside Gaza’s largest hospital Al-Shifa a day after they stormed the hospital on 15 November and strengthened their control over the establishment.
Israeli officers reported finding weapons, ammunition, body armour and other military equipment in a radiology section while soldiers searched and questioned people who were present inside. A military spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus showed approximately ten guns, ammunition, protective vests and Hamas military uniforms in a video shot at the hospital. He claimed that some of the weapons were concealed behind M.R.I. machines, others were in nearby storage units and a few were behind a “blast-proof door.”
Watch as LTC (res.) Jonathan Conricus exposes the countless Hamas weapons IDF troops have uncovered in the Shifa Hospital's MRI building: pic.twitter.com/5qssP8z1XQ
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 15, 2023
The Israeli military official entered the MRI centre of the Shifa hospital with the cameraman and asserted, “A few of the things that we found, totally confirms, without any doubt that Hamas systematically uses hospitals in their military operations in violation of international law. These weapons have absolutely no business being inside a hospital,” and added that he believed the material was “just the top of the iceberg.”
The hospital’s surveillance cameras, according to the Israeli military, were completely blocked. The Israeli commander contended that Hamas employs firearms and other weaponry for their illegal military operations in other Gaza Strip hospitals and ambulances.
After days of battle with Hamas gunmen on the facility’s perimeter, the IDF conducted room-by-room searches in the building. The Israeli military had surrounded the structure for days and claimed that Hamas kept a major operations command centre under the hospital as well as used the citizens, employees, and patients who were taking refuge there as cover for terrorists.
On November 14 the United States of America affirmed that Islamic Jihad and Hamas employed tunnels beneath Al Shifa and other Gaza hospitals “to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages.” Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari informed, “In the hospital, we found weapons, intelligence materials, and military technology and equipment.”
He further mentioned, “We also found an operational headquarters with communication equipment belonging to Hamas and Hamas uniforms. These findings unequivocally prove that the hospital was used for terror, in complete violation of international law.”
The IDF shared a video from inside Shifa that showed three duffel bags that were allegedly discovered stashed near an MRI lab. Inside each bag were an assault rifle, grenades and Hamas uniforms. Furthermore, there was a closet that held multiple assault guns devoid of ammunition clips and a laptop was also located and sent for analysis. Although the military stated that the search was ongoing, no signs of tunnels or an extensive military facility were found right away.
Israeli soldiers “did not find any equipment or weapons in the hospital” the Gaza health ministry which is administered by the terror group Hamas alleged in response to the accusations and charged that Israeli bulldozers “destroyed parts of the southern entrance” of the hospital.
According to the military, it conducted a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the hospital” with medical teams accompanying the soldiers and providing supplies like incubators. The areas of the hospital below where it is believed that Hamas had its main command centre were not accessible to the army.
The statement indicated that it would continue working at Al Shifa Hospital to locate intelligence data and Hamas assets. It also mentioned that the military was looking for hostages however they had not yet located anyone.
The United States stated that its own intelligence suggested terrorists have exploited tunnels beneath Shifa and other hospitals to assist military operations and keep hostages, hours before Israel’s strike. On 16 November, the IDF persisted in its operations at Al-Shifa Hospital, which it noted is a Hamas command centre concealed behind 2,000 people who are taking refuge there.
