Hamas assassins behind the Israeli terrorist attack hid a huge cache of weapons in the MRI center of Gaza’s largest hospital.
In a dramatic raid at 2 a.m., Israeli special forces using night vision goggles found their Al-Shifa headquarters.
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An Israeli soldier in the MRI department at Shifa Hospital
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The soldier showed what he claimed was a cache of weapons
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Israel claims to have found a cache of weapons in Shifa hospital
They blew open the hospital’s doors and searched the sprawling complex in an attempt to stop the terrorist group’s “beating heart.”
Last night they revealed the devastating arsenal they found hidden among bandages and formations.
These included bags containing Kalashnikovs, AK-47s, grenades, body armor with Hamas insignia and ammunition.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops were in contact with hospital staff to facilitate the evacuation of patients being used as human shields by Hamas.
He explained how terrorists probably managed to escape from the hospital unnoticed.
“We found uniforms of Hamas terrorists that were thrown on the floor of the hospital to allow these terrorists to escape, probably disguised as civilians,” Hagari said.
“We warned the hospital management in advance about our operation.
“Today we also delivered medical equipment and baby food to the hospital.”
Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said the evidence “fully and without a doubt confirms that Hamas systematically uses hospitals in its military operations.”
He added: “What we found is just the tip of the iceberg. These weapons have absolutely no place in a hospital.
“The only reason they are here is because Hamas brought them here and they are using this place, like many other hospitals, for their illegal military purposes.”
An IDF spokesman added: “IDF troops are continuing their precise and targeted operation against Hamas in the Shifa hospital complex, in which the troops are searching for terrorist infrastructure and Hamas assets.”
“When the soldiers entered the hospital complex, they engaged in a fight with several terrorists and killed them.
“Subsequently, during searches in one of the hospital’s departments, the troops discovered a room containing technical equipment and military and combat equipment used by the terrorist organization Hamas.
“In another section of the hospital, soldiers located a Hamas operational command center and technical facilities, indicating that the terrorist organization is using the hospital for terrorist purposes.”
“The technological resources and extensive intelligence information found have been handed over to the relevant authorities for full review.
“The IDF continues to operate in the hospital complex, gathering intelligence and preventing harm to the medical teams and civilians housed there.”
Gaza’s Ministry of Health denies the claims.
A Hamas spokesman said: “The Israeli occupation’s claim that weapons are being stored at Al-Shifa Hospital is a blatant lie that should no longer deceive anyone.”
“The Zionist occupation’s claim that they found weapons and military equipment in the al Shifa medical complex is nothing more than a continuation of their lies and cheap propaganda.”
The troops were given the green light to enter the hospital after U.S. intelligence received information confirming it was a human shield for the command center.
Hamas militants, who had been hiding underground since killing 1,200 Israelis on October 7, were given a 1 a.m. deadline to surrender.
An hour later, more than 100 commandos – flanked by 30 tanks, countless ground troops and aerial drones – began the battle for al-Shifa.
Five Hamas terrorists who were setting booby traps at the site were killed in a shootout before troops made their way to the hospital’s emergency room.
There, Israel Defense Forces soldiers burst through the doors, shouting in Arabic: “Don’t move, don’t move.”
They secured the area and then went from room to room, floor to floor, looking for Hamas fighters. Men between the ages of 16 and 40 were sent to a yard and interrogated.
Medical teams, patients and women remained indoors.
In the hours after the raid, Israeli troops brought battery-powered incubators to the hospital for 36 newborns fighting for their lives.
Food and medical supplies were also stacked at the entrance to ease the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Troops remained in hospital overnight but faced a race against time to find the entrances to terror tunnels built beneath the sprawling site.
Some of the 240 hostages kidnapped by Hamas gunmen are believed to be held there.
In an impassioned address to the nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu promised: “We will not let up.”
“There is no place in Gaza that we cannot reach. There are no hiding places. There is no protection or refuge for the Hamas murderers.
“We will reach and eliminate Hamas and bring back our hostages.”
Their daring mission was approved after days of tension and increasing international pressure.
Israel was told not to start a shooting in a hospital full of patients.
But just before 9:30 p.m., the White House said the U.S. had its own intelligence that proved al-Shifa and other hospitals were human shields for Hamas.
Independent evidence showed that the health facilities were a cover for Hamas terrorist operations.
National security spokesman John Kirby said: “This is a war crime.”
But last night he had to deny that the US had given Israel permission to launch its mission.
And there was no sign of the prisoners, including 38 children, as searches of the site continued into the night.
The long-awaited raid was announced shortly after troops found a quantity of weapons and signs of hostages under the nearby Al-Rantisi hospital.
Natalie Thurtle, deputy medical coordinator for the charity Doctors Without Borders, said at least 300 patients and staff remained at Al-Shifa Hospital.
She said: “We have been trying to evacuate them for three days. It is very dangerous and there is currently no way for people to leave Shifa.”
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The IDF also said it found a Hamas command center
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Israeli troops entered al-Shifa hospital on Tuesday evening
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Israel claims a Hamas stronghold lies beneath Gaza’s largest hospital. Photo credit: Reuters
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More than 11,000 people in Gaza have been killed by Israeli bombings since October 7. Photo credit: Getty
Source : www.the-sun.com