Gaza hospital director admits facility converted into Hamas operational base

The director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital, Ahmed Kahlot, has admitted during an interrogation by Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, that the hospital was converted into a military facility by Hamas militant group.

Kahlot, who claims to have been a lieutenant colonel in Hamas since 2010, revealed that the hospital housed Hamas offices, served as a base for operational activities, and even accommodated a kidnapped Israeli soldier at one point.

According to Kahlot, 16 members of the hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, were Hamas operatives affiliated with the al-Qassam Brigades. He also mentioned the presence of members from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades within the hospital.

In a joint statement by Shin Bet and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it was confirmed that Israeli forces entered Kamal Adwan hospital on December 12, detaining around 90 operatives and seizing weapons.

Some of those captured were also allegedly involved in the October 7 onslaught by Hamas in southern Israel, media reports said.

Kahlot disclosed, “There is a designated space for interrogations, internal security and special security. They all have private phone lines within the hospital.”

He acknowledged that Hamas hides in hospitals, believing them to be safe places.

Additionally, Kahlot revealed that Hamas operates its own ambulances with a distinct colour, separate from those used by medics. He claimed that these ambulances are not used for medical purposes, prioritising the group's missions over humanitarian needs.

In criticising Hamas after two and a half months of the war, Kahlot described the leaders as "cowards", accusing them of hiding while leaving others exposed in the field.

Israel has long asserted that Hamas uses Gaza hospitals for military purposes and says that the militant group is using humans as shields during the ongoing conflict.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported over 19,600 casualties since the war's onset, though the numbers cannot be independently verified. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, estimating around 7,000 combatant deaths since the war began.

(With inputs from agencies)

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