Hamas denies accusations of using hospitals in Gaza for military purposes

Gaza, Palestine | Xinhua | Hamas on Tuesday denied using hospitals in the Gaza Strip for military purposes, dismissing such Israeli accusations as “lies,” according to the media office of the Gaza-ruling Palestinian faction.

What the Israeli army presented regarding the Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City were “videos made in a contradictory, unprofessional, and illogical manner,” and included “composite and fabricated scenes that mislead public opinion,” the media office said in a statement.

It accused the Israeli army of “making lies and practicing misinformation and incitement in preparation for destroying hospitals … over the heads of patients, medical staff, and displaced people.”

Meanwhile, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said what the Israeli army showed and termed as an arsenal located beneath the hospital was a “poor charade,” denying any involvement with the displayed weapons and items that Israel claimed for holding hostages.

On Monday, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hajari claimed that there was evidence indicating the presence of Israeli prisoners inside the hospital and Palestinian militants using the hospital as a hideout following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Israel surrounded a number of hospitals in Gaza City in recent days on suspicion that their underground facilities have been used as Hamas military bases and command. ■