Israel says Hamas terror base is beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, largest hospital in Gaza
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari briefed international reporters Friday and said Hamas has placed its main base of terror operations beneath the largest hospital in Gaza.
Hagari said Shifa Hospital, which has over 1,500 beds and 4,000 staff, houses an "underground terror complex" used by the Islamist group to plan attacks on Israel. He referred to Israeli intelligence reports that Hamas uses an expansive network of tunnels connecting hospitals in Gaza from which to plan and launch rocket attacks targeting residential areas in Israel. He said that terrorists do not need to enter the hospital from outside to reach the tunnels, but there is an entrance to the underground complex inside the hospital wards.
“We have concrete evidence that hundreds of terrorists flooded into the hospital to hide there after the massacres of October 7," Hagari said.
According to IDF, Hamas' internal security has a command center inside Shifa Hospital, where the terrorist group stores weapons.
“Hamas uses Shifa hospital as a shield for Hamas terror infrastructure,” Hagari said. “Hamas wages war from hospitals. By operating from these hospitals, Hamas not only endangers the lives of Israeli civilians; but also exploits innocent Gazan civilians.
Hagari shared an animated illustration showing the Hamas infrastructure beneath the hospital, based on Israeli intelligence. He told reporters Israel will not share the intelligence used to create the illustration, which has been shared with Israeli allies.
"“Hamas terrorists operate inside hospitals precisely because they know that the IDF distinguishes between terrorists and civilians," Hagari said.
“When medical facilities are used for terror purposes, they are liable to lose their protection from attack in accordance with international law," he added.
Fox News' Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this update.
