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Israel says weapons found in Al Shifa hospital: ‘Concrete proof that Hamas…’
Israel-Hamas War: There had been no fighting inside the hospital complex after the soldiers arrived during the night, Israeli official said.
Israeli troops found weapons and "terror infrastructure" during an on-going raid within Al Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip, a senior military official said as per news agency Reuters. Although, there had been no fighting inside the hospital complex after the soldiers arrived during the night, he said as there was no friction with medical staff or patients.
They were in a different section of the site, he said.
"IDF soldiers have already found weapons and other terror infrastructure. In the last hour, we saw concrete evidence that Hamas terrorists used the Shifa hospital as a terror headquarter," the official said without specifying what part of the hospital troops were searching.
The evidence would be presented later, he said, adding, “This is an extremely precise and targeted operation. Our forces are present in one specific area of the very large Shifa hospital complex.”
It is unclear how long the raid would last.
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"Our soldiers are making a slow and deliberate progress based on our intelligence," he said.
The official said that four terrorists had died in a gunfight outside Al Shifa when Israeli soldiers sought to enter the complex. Soldiers had interrogated individuals found in the area they were searching, he said.
"I have an understanding that one of them is Hamas," he informed.
Earlier, Israel said that Hamas has used Al Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, as a cover for their operations. Hamas and hospital staff have denied this claim.
The United Nations and the Red Cross voiced alarm after Israeli forces raided the hospital.
"I'm appalled by reports of military raids in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza," UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said, adding, "The protection of newborns, patients, medical staff and all civilians must override all other concerns. Hospitals are not battlegrounds."
