The White House spokesperson John Kirby announced on Thursday that the United States is confident in its intelligence assessment that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has used Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a command center and possibly as a storage facility. He explained that the U.S. is confident in its intelligence regarding Hamas's activities at Al-Shifa Hospital and refused to clarify or provide details about the past several days.
In response to a question about whether the Israelis had shared any new intelligence since the raid on the hospital began, Kirby said, "I will not speak about specific intelligence that we may have shared." He added that Hamas fighters were sheltering in the hospital and using it as a shield against military action, which endangers patients and medical staff.
He stated, "We have our intelligence that convinces us that Hamas was using Al-Shifa Hospital as a command and control center, and probably also as a storage facility. We remain convinced of the accuracy of that intelligence."
An Israeli military official revealed on Thursday that Israeli special forces are searching every building and every floor in Al-Shifa Hospital and that new information is continually emerging. The official said, "The operation was formed based on our understanding of the existence of a terrorist infrastructure that has been meticulously concealed in the complex."
The official added that weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas have been found in Al-Shifa Hospital, and that "the movement has consistently worked to conceal the infrastructure and cover up evidence in Gaza's hospitals." He noted that soldiers are searching each building and floor "individually, methodically, and meticulously, based on ongoing field assessments and information from investigations being conducted on the ground."
The official reported, "The Israeli army has already found weapons and intelligence materials that include information related to what happened on October 7, as well as military technologies and equipment, command and control centers, communication equipment, all owned by Hamas." He added that "this operation is complex and ongoing, with new information constantly emerging."
