The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, Peter Lerner, has demanded an apology from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for its coverage claiming no evidence of Hamas militants using the Al-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip. Lerner’s statement was posted on the IDF’s social media page.
Lerner stated that during IDF raids, a 50-meter tunnel with a reinforced armored door, firearms, communication devices, and a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher were found beneath the hospital. He expressed his expectation that the World Health Organization would condemn this and questioned whether the BBC would apologize for its coverage.
Last week, BBC editor Jeremy Bowen expressed doubts about the IDF’s evidence that the Hamas headquarters were located in the Al-Shifa hospital. He also claimed that journalists were unable to freely move around the Gaza Strip and those present were under IDF surveillance.
The situation in the Middle East has escalated following the infiltration of thousands of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7th, when Hamas announced the start of its “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war.
Israel’s counter-operation, named “Iron Swords,” aims to repel the attack, free over 200 hostages (including foreign nationals), and eliminate Hamas. As part of this mission, Israel has conducted extensive missile strikes on the Gaza Strip since the first day of the operation. Additionally, the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt the supply of water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel to the strip. Humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza have only resumed through the Rafah crossing after October 20th, albeit in insufficient quantities.
On October 27th, Israel announced the “expansion” of its ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of this operation is unknown; however, in anticipation, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have evacuated their homes and sought refuge in shelters and the southern part of the enclave. As of November 5th, fighting continues in the center of Gaza as IDF forces have surrounded the city and cut off its supply routes.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to destroy Hamas.
