IDF destroys Hamas tunnel under Shifa hospital
(IDF)
The IDF said on Friday that its forces destroyed the Hamas tunnel and the shafts located in the Shifa Hospital compound. Foreign media crews were brought in to see the tunnel and document the prove of their use by the Hamas terror group, under a medical facility in contradiction of international humanitarian law.
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In addition to vast amounts of munitions found in the tunnel, troops also found personal effects of hostages abducted on October 7, who were taken to Shifa by the terrorists.
On Thursday, the IDF detained Shifa hospital director Dr. Muhammad Abu Salamiyah for questioning by the Shin Bet after the findings showed how extensive the Hamas use of the hospital was.
"The terror group used hospital recourses including electricity, to maintain the tunne sytem it built beneath the facility," the military said.
The IDF said that after the Hamas massacre, the terrorists used the hospital as a sanctuary for its members and held hostages abducted in Israel, there. Forensic evidence confirmed that Corp. Noa Marciano was murdered in the facility.
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Weapons and personal effects of hostages found in the tunnel under the Shifa hospital
(Photo: Yoav Zitun)
The tunnel under Shifa contained bedrooms, air conditioning, toilets and sinks, as well as hidden ventilation shafts. They were made of thick concrete walls to protect from Israeli air raids using bunker busting bombs.
4 View gallery
The tunnel under shifa that connects with a network of underground tunnels
(Photo: IDF)
"Hamas was prepared for us in the start of the war when we said we would enter Shifa," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. "Most of the weapons and ammunition was hidden or taken so the hundreds of items found was only a fraction of what the Hamas had under the hospital. The terrorists also sealed some of the shafts leading to the tunnel to prevent us from detecting where the tunnels were connected to including reaching mosques neighboring the hospital. We were surprised by the extent of the efforts undertaken to prevent us from finding the tunnel.