Key Takeaways
- The IDF uncovered a basement filled with weapons beneath a hospital in Gaza.
- Evidence shows a Hamas command-and-control center and hostages were hidden inside the Rantisi Hospital.
- The discovery highlights the use of civilian medical facilities as military assets in the Gaza conflict.
Gaza: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has discovered underground infrastructure beneath Rantisi Hospital in Gaza that was allegedly used by Hamas to store weapons and hold hostages, IDF spokesperson RDML Daniel Hagari said on Monday.
“I just got back from Gaza, where I joined an operation inside the Rantisi Children’s Hospital. I went to the hospital with a video camera and personally documented more concrete evidence … that Hamas uses hospitals as an instrument of war.
Underneath the hospital, in the basement, we found: a Hamas command-and-control center; suicide-bomb vests; grenades; AK-47 assault rifles; explosive devices; RPGs and other weapons, computers, money … And we also found signs that indicated that Hamas held hostages here.” Hagari told a briefing.
On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a large-scale ground incursion inside the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas fighters and rescue the hostages.
