Israeli soldiers have reportedly discovered a tunnel used by Hamas at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital. The army released a video showing what it claims to be a tunnel entrance in an outdoor area of the hospital.
The video, which could not be immediately verified, depicts a deep hole in the ground surrounded by concrete, wood rubble, and sand, suggesting excavation.
They also stated that a vehicle containing a large number of weapons was found at the hospital.
Responding to the claims, Hamas, in a statement late on Thursday, denied the allegations, calling them a “blatantly false narrative.”
The United States, however, supported the claims made by its intelligence agencies regarding Hamas activities at Al Shifa hospital, with White House spokesperson John Kirby stating that the U.S. is confident in its assessment.
The U.N., on it’s part, has voiced concerns that no aid would be delivered to Palestinians on Friday via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
In another development, two telecoms companies in Gaza, Paltel and Jawwal, have reported a complete outage of services due to the depletion of energy sources supplying the network.
The U.N Agency for Palestinian Refugees Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, expressed difficulty in coordinating humanitarian aid without communication and fuel saying Israel’s refusal to allow fuel imports due to concerns about military use by Hamas, has exacerbated the situation.
As of late Thursday night, there was no update on the status of the telecoms companies with their networks remaining inoperable.
The Israeli military’s chief of staff claimed that Israel was nearing the destruction of Hamas’ military system in northern Gaza and might expand to other parts of the densely populated enclave.
Israel distributed pamphlets urging civilians to evacuate four towns in southern Gaza, areas previously deemed safe.
The situation is escalating, with concerns raised about the delivery of aid and the humanitarian crisis intensifying.
By xamse
November 17, 2023
