
Israel on Friday (Oct 27) accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of abusing hospitals in the Gaza Strip for military purposes as the conflict in and around the Palestinian territory intensifies.
The Israeli military said that Hamas was using the hospital as a shield for its tunnels and operational centres.
"Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, told a news conference.
Hagari said Hamas was using the hospital system to hide its command posts and entry points into the comprehensive tunnel network under Gaza.
He specifically identified Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, as one from which Hamas militants were operating.
"Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders. Additionally, I can confirm that according to the intelligence we have in our hands, there is fuel in hospitals in Gaza," Hagari said.
"Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa Hospital and other hospitals in Gaza," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took to his official X account and shared an illustration-based video showing how the militant group used Shifa Hospital as a shelter for its military operations from both above and below the ground.
Also read:Explained | Amid fears of escalation, United States intensifies deployment of forces around Israel
"Hamas-ISIS is sick. They turn hospitals into headquarters for their terror. We just released intelligence proving it. Hamas rejects," he wrote in a posting.
The Palestinian militant group fired back on the accusations by Israel and said that the claims were unfounded.
"There's no basis in truth in what the spokesman of the enemy army stated," said Izzat al-Rishq, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau. He accused Israel of making the allegations to "pave the way for a new massacre to be committed against our people".
Earlier, the Commissioner General for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, rejected that any aid was being redirected.
"We have solid monitoring mechanisms... UNRWA does not and will not divert any humanitarian aid into the wrong hands," Lazzarini said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.