War in the Middle East
Big explosion at Shifa Hospital
Ambulances stand near an Israeli Defense Force tank in the Gaza Strip. photo
© Victor R. Caivano/AP/dpa
In the midst of the agreed ceasefire, a violent explosion is heard in Gaza City. Israel’s army has apparently destroyed an underground tunnel that Hamas is said to have used.
The Israeli army said it destroyed an underground tunnel complex in the area of Shifa Hospital in the city of Gaza on Friday. There was a strong one on a video recording Explosion seen in a building complex. At least one of the multi-story buildings appeared to be heavily damaged by the explosion, the video clip, which was just a few seconds long, showed. According to the army, the Islamist Hamas had misused the tunnel complex for terrorist purposes.
Despite strong international criticism, Israeli soldiers have been deployed in and around the clinic for days. Numerous patients, including 31 premature babies, were evacuated from the embattled hospital several days after the operation began. According to information from the UN emergency relief office on Friday morning, around 250 patients and employees were said to have been in the hospital.
The Israeli military had allowed foreign journalists access to the underground facility before the destruction of the tunnel complex at the Shifa Clinic. Images and videos showed a narrow tunnel and several rooms, including a room with two bed frames, toilets and a small kitchen. According to the information, the tunnel was ten meters deep and 55 meters long. According to the military, weapons were also found in the hospital.
Hamas denied that it was using medical facilities for military purposes. However, the US government supported the Israeli account that Hamas used Shifa Hospital as a command center and weapons depot.