The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday, November 13, that they had discovered a tunnel connected to a children’s hospital in Gaza City, which was being used by Hamas. Along with the tunnel, the IDF also found Hamas infrastructure inside the hospital. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari shared footage of the tunnel entrance next to Rantisi Hospital and claimed that it led into the hospital. In the video, Hagari showed various items found in a room in the hospital’s basement, including toilets, a small kitchen, written lists, diapers, and a baby bottle. This was presented as evidence that Hamas had been keeping hostages in the hospital.
However, the IDF did not provide any evidence to prove that the tunnel was directly connected to the hospital or that Hamas had been utilizing the hospital for their purposes. Independent verification of these claims was not possible for Storyful, a news agency. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Palestinian health ministry reported to Al Jazeera that the hospital had been targeted by direct attacks and bombardments. The IDF footage was released via Storyful, but no further details were provided.
