Al-Shifa, Gaza’s biggest hospital, has a tunnel shaft for Hamas militants, say the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). On November 16, the troops raided the hospital complex where plenty of patients, children including babies, are getting treated in the face of the escalating clashes between Israel and Hamas. This week saw several visuals from the war spot displaying a wrecked environment and rising civilian casualties in Gaza.
As per the Israeli soldiers, a Hamas tunnel shaft and vehicle-loaded weapons are present inside the buildings of Al-Shifa. The prime hunt of the Israeli troops is the Hamas militants who are taking refuge at Al-Shifa. The U.S. intelligence agency also reiterates the same about the concealed activities at the hospital but is now refusing to elaborate on the provided details. In the photographs and videos shared by the IDF, a soldier points out the rifles, flak, jackets, and other weapons inside the building premises.
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The army further stated about the outdoor area of the medical facility and showed the entry gate to a tunnel. Many believe in the Hamas-manufactured tunnel city that expands under Gaza for hundreds of kilometers. However, both Hamas and the health authorities of Shifa deny the claims of the infrastructural militancy beneath the hospital complex and call for an ‘international inspection’ to prove their stances. Shifa’s location lies between the Beach refugee camp and the Rimal neighborhood, away from the small fishing port of Gaza.
In today’s scenario, the situation is not so different. The telecom companies Jawwal and Paltel operating in Gaza confirmed that their entire resources of energy supplies had dropped down. Consequently, the remaining communication services in that area had to be called off. Still, Israel forbids importing fuel into Gaza as it fears the military use of it by Hamas against the country.
The UNRWA, the agency for the Palestinian Refugees in Gaza warned of the incoming surge of death cases if the area remains out of fuel for an even longer period. Yesterday night saw the inoperability of the two telecom companies in Gaza, as all modes of communication through the internet, mobiles, and landline networks were inaccessible. As of now, more than 11,000 people, 4,700 children have died in the week-long Israeli military invasions, and most of them have been Palestinian civilians
The IDF says that the raid into the building was necessary as it leaked the information of Hamas hiding war weapons like Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades there. Usually, hospitals that are a source of emergency relief in a war-like situation remain free of attacks as per international humanitarian law. But the U.N. Director of the Human Rights Watch – Louis Charbonneau hinted that the hospital might lose its protection if strong evidence supported the claims of harmful activities being carried out on the premises by the hidden militants.
Significance of Al-Shifa
The significance of Al-Shifa in this war cannot be minuscule. It sprawls over a few residences of buildings and courtyards. But the name holds a special mention here. The word “Shifa” is an Arabic word for “healing”. Much has been going on in the lobbies and rooms of this hospital. Last week, it ran short of fuel to run generators that had incubators supporting 39 premature babies.
Three of the babies died due to this incident as Israel made an effort to supply incubators, but the medical staff had no clear path to move them. There have been numerous times when Shifa appeared in the headlines during the Israel-Palestinian conflict. British rule built this hospital in 1946, and it went through the Egyptian invasion later for two decades. During the years 1967, 1971, and 1987 (Intifada’s first day), Al-Shifa came under flashpoints.
Further Reads:-
Unfolding the massive event of the Israel-Hamas war on its 20th day
WHO Chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, calls for an immediate protection for the UN staff stuck in Gaza
