Israel takes journalists to see Hamas bunker at Al Shifa hospital

This bunker, approximately two meters high, is accessed through an open-air tunnel within the hospital complex, which once sheltered tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians and which the Israeli military says served as a human shield for Hamas fighters.

Israeli soldiers guard an entrance to a secret bunker at Al Shifa Hospital. Photo: Reuters.

Colonel Elad Tsuri, commander of the Israeli armored brigade that discovered the tunnel, said: “That’s how they survived because they used the hospital as a human shield to protect themselves. And they could stay there for a long time. Inside, there’s a room with air conditioning.”

Israel has long accused Hamas of using the Al Shifa hospital complex as a command center and to conceal its forces among the population. Hamas and hospital officials have denied these allegations.

The journalists were transported by Israeli military vehicles to the hospital complex in northern Gaza Strip, passing through a landscape of buildings destroyed or abandoned following Israel's nearly seven-week offensive.

This bunker was a solidly constructed structure with a vaulted ceiling and paved with stone or concrete. The soldiers escorting the journalists used flashlights to illuminate the way in the darkness and pointed out a small kitchen, a bathroom equipped with a toilet and sink, and a room large enough for a meeting with two metal beds.

The corridor leading to the basement. Photo: Reuters

The basement even had a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. Photo: Reuters

The basement has doors leading to various different areas. Photo: Reuters

Colonel Tsuri said, “We believe there is another escape route they have prepared. It is not yet open, and we are certain that there are multiple routes to the city from here.” He said the Israeli military knew that the tunnel had another access point to a kindergarten in Gaza.

Outside the hospital grounds, Israeli troops displayed numerous guns, grenades, and other explosives that military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said had been collected in recent days inside the hospital.

He said the body of a hostage, 19-year-old Noa Marciano, had been found by the military outside a nearby medical clinic. Hamas had previously released a video claiming the female hostage had died in an Israeli airstrike.

In Washington, the White House said its independent intelligence supported Israel's claim that Hamas was using Gaza hospitals, including Al Shifa, to conceal command positions. Hamas has denied the accusation.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/israel-dan-cac-nha-bao-den-xem-can-ham-bi-mat-cua-hamas-o-benh-vien-al-shifa-post273572.html