The Israeli army sought on Wednesday to bolster its assertions that Hamas makes use of tunnels beneath Gaza’s largest hospital, releasing a sequence of movies that it stated confirmed “dozens of meters of a tunnel system” beneath the advanced of Al-Shifa Hospital.
Israeli and American officers have stated that Hamas makes use of hospitals to supply cowl for its army operations, accusations that Hamas and hospital directors have denied. Israel, beneath rising worldwide strain to show these claims, has released several videos to press its case, exhibiting components of its cautious exploration of underground buildings the army identifies as Hamas tunnels. The movies thus far — together with these launched on Wednesday — haven’t proven conclusive proof of an unlimited community of tunnels.
One video launched this month included a army spokesman exhibiting weapons that he stated had been discovered at Al-Shifa. Another showed a piece of a tunnel that The New York Occasions verified was recorded at Al-Shifa.
That tunnel resembled the one seen in a video launched on Wednesday. In that video, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman for the Israeli army, is proven holding a flashlight as he and a gaggle of troopers traverse a tunnel with an arched ceiling that he describes as being beneath Al-Shifa’s advanced.
The movies launched on Wednesday additionally present at least two toilets, a small alcove with a sink and a room with uncovered wiring. Admiral Hagari says within the video that the room, and {an electrical} panel in one other a part of the tunnel, are related to electrical energy sourced by the hospital.
Within the video, the admiral additionally reveals a room that he known as a “hideout,” with two cots and a wall-mounted air-conditioning unit that he says is related to an engine outdoors a hospital constructing.
The Israeli army stated that Hamas had probably emptied the rooms as Israeli forces superior. Admiral Hagari says within the video that Hamas tried to seal and destroy parts of the tunnel forward of the army’s arrival.
In another video launched on Wednesday, Admiral Hagari enters a house that he says is close to Al-Shifa’s advanced and served as a classroom. Inside the home, which has a chalkboard with English writing on it, Admiral Hagari reveals an entrance right into a tunnel that he says related to tunnels beneath Al-Shifa.
Aric Toler and Malachy Browne contributed reporting.
