US Intelligence Confirms Hamas Command Operations at Al-Shifa Hospital
The U.S. intelligence community has declassified an assessment expressing confidence that Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, used the al-Shifa hospital complex in Gaza for military purposes. This included housing command infrastructure, storing weapons, and holding hostages. The assessment supports Israeli claims about the hospital's use but does not fully corroborate all of Israel's allegations. The U.S. believes militants evacuated and destroyed evidence before an Israeli raid on November 15. The use of hospitals for military purposes is a contentious issue, as it can negate their protected status under international law.