Representatives of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have refused to allow journalists to independently inspect the “Ash-Shifa” hospital in Gaza, according to The New York Times.
In order to enter Gaza, two reporters and a photographer from The New York Times were forced to stay with Israeli troops throughout their entire visit. The military declined to allow the journalists to explore the hospital, take photographs, or interview patients and medical staff who remain in the facility, stating that it was not completely safe and that Hamas combatants could still be present there.
However, a portion of the medical complex was shown to the journalists.
Claims that a Hamas headquarters was located in tunnels beneath the hospital are critically important arguments from the Israeli side, partially justifying strikes on civilian objects in Gaza, as they were being used as cover by Hamas. However, the Israeli side has not yet provided evidence to support these claims. It is noted that the tunnels beneath the hospital have not been fully explored, and IDF soldiers themselves do not descend into them due to concerns of booby traps.
Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed indications of Hamas holding hostages in the “Ash-Shifa” hospital.
The situation in the Middle East has escalated after thousands of Hamas militants infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7, when Hamas announced the beginning of the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was in a state of war.
The goal of Israel’s retaliatory operation, “Iron Swords,” was to repel the attack, free more than 200 hostages, including foreigners, and destroy Hamas. In order to achieve this goal, Israel conducted massive rocket attacks on the Gaza Strip from the first day of the operation. The Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the enclave. Humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza began only after October 20, through the Rafah checkpoint, but their volume is considered insufficient.
On October 27, Israel announced the “expansion” of its ground operation in Gaza. The exact start of this operation is unknown, but in preparation for it, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left their homes and sought shelter in bunkers and the southern part of the enclave. On November 5, as part of the ground operation, IDF forces surrounded the city of Gaza and cut off its supply lines, while fighting continues in the center of Gaza.
Previously, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, stated that the Hamas command center is located beneath the central hospital in the Gaza Strip.
