HRW refutes Israel's claims, finding no proof of Hamas using Al-Shifa Hospital for military purposes

By Abdel-Jabbar Abu Ras

ISTANBUL (AA) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it could not confirm Israel's claims that Hamas is using Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza for military purposes.

"The Israeli military claims that Hamas has its headquarters underneath al-Shifa hospital, and that Hamas military officials are inside the hospital. HRW cannot corroborate this allegation," HRW said in a statement on X late Thursday.

It added that the hospital and its surrounding areas "continue to come under (Israeli) fire."

Almost all Gaza hospitals have been targeted by Israeli attacks and airstrikes in the last 24 hours, including Al-Shifa Hospital, which has received at least four rounds of Israeli airstrikes in the same period.

The New York-based rights group reiterated that the hospitals "have special protection under the laws of war, which they only lose if they are being used to commit ‘acts harmful to the enemy’ and after due warning."

Israel has repeatedly incited against the Al-Shifa Hospital for being used by the Hamas group as an undercover base for its military activities, but no hard evidence has been provided.

The Hamas group, which has been ruling Gaza since 2007, has vehemently denied such Israeli claims on several occasions.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 10,812 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar