Gaza’s Hospitals: Focal Point in Israel-Hamas Conflict
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Gaza’s hospitals have become a central battleground. Both sides have accused each other of using these medical facilities as a means to further their own agendas, with each side claiming that the other is disregarding the safety of civilians. Israeli troops have entered several hospitals in search of weapons and fighters, while Hamas and hospital staff insist that these facilities are purely for medical purposes.
One hospital that has gained particular significance is Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility. Israel has made high-profile claims that Hamas leaders operated a command-and-control center beneath the hospital, while Hamas and the hospital staff vehemently deny these allegations. The Israeli military released a video showing a tunnel beneath the hospital, but evidence examined by The New York Times suggests that Hamas did indeed use the hospital for cover and stored weapons inside it.
Classified Israeli intelligence documents reveal that the tunnel beneath Al-Shifa Hospital is at least 700 feet long, twice as long as what was publicly revealed by the military. It likely extends beyond the hospital and connects to Hamas’s larger underground network. Israeli soldiers found underground bunkers, living quarters, and a room wired for computers and communications equipment along a part of the tunnel beyond the hospital.
However, the Israeli military has struggled to prove that Hamas maintained a command-and-control center under the hospital. Critics argue that the evidence does not support their claims, pointing out that the military had distributed material before the raid showing five underground complexes and had also stated that the tunnel network could be reached from wards inside the hospital building.
Hospitals are protected under international law, even if they provide medical care for combatants. However, their use for activities harmful to the enemy can make them legitimate targets for military action. Israel argues that Hamas is using hospitals as cover and turning civilians into human shields. Critics counter that raiding hospitals cuts off doctors from supplies and residents from urgent medical care.
The toll on civilians is evident, with five premature babies dying at Al-Shifa Hospital before the raid due to lack of electricity and fuel. The health care system in Gaza has collapsed, according to Lynn Hastings, the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator for Gaza. The Israeli military claims that it warned the occupants of the hospital before entering, opened evacuation routes, and sent Arabic-speaking medical teams along with the soldiers.
Israel has faced international criticism for its raids on hospitals. In response, they have publicized evidence that they say shows Hamas hiding fighters among the ill and injured and holding hostages in these facilities. Hamas and Gazan health officials have not directly refuted the evidence presented by Israel but have accused them of planting evidence.
There is substantial independent evidence that Hamas has constructed a vast tunnel network across Gaza, estimated to be between 350 and 450 miles long with thousands of entrances. There is also documentation that Hamas used Al-Shifa Hospital in the past to mask its activities. However, there are conflicting reports from doctors who worked in Gaza during previous conflicts, with some denying any Hamas presence at Al-Shifa.
Israel has released video footage from the hospital’s security cameras showing hostages being brought to Al-Shifa shortly after being abducted in an attack by Hamas. The tunnel beneath Al-Shifa was discovered by following ducts that ran underground from air-conditioning units powered by the hospital’s electricity supply. Israeli soldiers also found evidence that the hospital’s water supply was being fed to the tunnel.
Despite the evidence presented by both sides, there are discrepancies in the claims made by the Israeli military. Some of what they have shown does not fully support their initial description of a terrorist headquarters beneath Al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces remained at the hospital for a little over a week before destroying the tunnel and leaving.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, with hospitals caught in the crossfire. As the largest medical facility in Gaza, Al-Shifa Hospital has become a symbol of the toll on civilians when hospitals are raided and used for military purposes. The international community must address the issue of hospitals being targeted and ensure the protection of medical facilities and the civilians they serve.