US reaffirms claim of Hamas using Gaza hospital as command center
US confirms Hamas used Gaza hospital as command center, holding hostages & storing weapons Declassified intelligence supports Israeli & US assessments
The US has reaffirmed its belief that Hamas and other Gaza militants utilized the largest hospital complex as a central command post, for holding hostages, and storing weapons. This comes after new intelligence was declassified that supports the conclusions reached by both Israeli and US intelligence officials. In a statement on Tuesday, a senior US intelligence official stated, "The US Intelligence Community is confident in its judgment on this topic and has independently corroborated information on Hamas and [Palestinian Islamic Jiahd]s use of the hospital complex for a variety of purposes related to its campaign against Israel."
The US intelligence community did not provide any additional evidence to back up its assessment, despite doubts being raised regarding the extent of Al-Shifa Hospital's involvement in Hamas operations, as stated by Israel. In a comprehensive investigation published by the Washington Post in late December, some of Israel's claims were called into question.
Israel faced global condemnation for its November attack on the besieged hospital, which doctors had characterized as "catastrophic."
The latest intelligence supported previous claims by the Biden administration and Israel before the November raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, indicating that Hamas had a command and control node in the tunnels beneath the hospital complex.
The National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, claimed that the hospital was being used to store weapons and hold hostages. According to a senior US intelligence official, the site was believed to be holding "at least a few hostages."
"We received information following the Israel Defense Forces' operation on November 15th that Hamas members at the hospital had left days earlier as the IDF neared the Al-Shifa complex. It was reported that Hamas had also destroyed documents and electronics at the complex in anticipation of the IDF's operation," the official explained.
Following Israel's takeover of the area, the military released several videos showing spokespersons presenting weapons that were reportedly discovered inside the hospital, as well as a tunnel system underneath the hospital.
Hamas admitted in November to using the hospital to bring in hostages, monitoring their health before detaining them in separate locations. However, they denied using the hospital as a command hub. CNN accompanied the IDF to the Shifa hospital complex to witness the uncovered tunnel shaft in November. The IDF later released footage depicting a tunnel that extended from the shaft and continued beneath the hospital complex.
The IDF released a video on November 22 showing spokesman Daniel Hagari inspecting tunnels beneath a hospital, including a tiled room and bathroom connected to the hospital's power system. However, the video did not conclusively prove that Hamas used the hospital as a primary command and control center, despite previous assertions by Israel and the US. Both countries had claimed that a Hamas command hub extended underground directly from the hospital, but have not provided evidence to fully support these claims.
