The Israeli army said Wednesday troops had found military equipment including weapons in their raid on Gaza’s biggest hospital, a claim swiftly denied by Hamas which rules the Palestinian territory.
In a pre-dawn raid, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Shifa hospital, with a journalist at the site telling AFP they carried out room-by-room searches after days of fighting on the outskirts of the facility with Hamas militants.
“In the hospital, we found weapons, intelligence materials, and military technology and equipment,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters.
“We also found an operational headquarters with comms equipment… belonging to Hamas” and “Hamas uniforms,” he said.
The army published images of what it said were guns, grenades, and other equipment found at Al-Shifa hospital. AFP was unable to independently verify the images.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza denied the claims, saying Israeli forces “did not find any equipment or weapons in the hospital.”
“Essentially we don’t allow” weapons in any hospital, said health ministry director Munir al-Bursh in a statement.
The ministry said Israeli soldiers destroyed medical equipment, which is not available elsewhere in Gaza, and detained two engineers who worked on the hospital’s oxygen and power supplies.
The United Nations estimates there are at least 2,300 patients, staff, and displaced Palestinians inside Al-Shifa.
Global agencies including the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross raised concerns for the safety of patients and medical staff following the Israeli raid.