Hamas leaders hid in hospital, abused medical facilities during operation Cast Lead

Not surprising that Hamas would abuse the protection of medical facilities during Operation Cast Lead. This information was in fact more or less known during the operation, and it is surprising that nothing was done about it.

'Haniyeh hid in hospital during Gaza op'

 

Apr. 22, 2009
Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh set up a command and control center inside Shifa Hospital in downtown Gaza City throughout Operation Cast Lead in January, the army announced Wednesday.

 

IDF probes launched following the operation discovered that Haniyeh, as well as other senior Hamas commanders, took over a ward of the hospital and set up a command center for the duration of the operation.

 

Hamas believed that Israel would not target the hospital due to the high risk of collateral damage.

 

Guards were posted at the entrance to the ward and field commanders used to take advantage of the humanitarian corridor and cessation of action that the IDF instituted every day for several hours to enter the hospital and meet with senior Hamas officials to receive instructions.

 

Senior Hamas commanders also set up command centers in al-Shafa Hospital as well as in a Red Crescent clinic in Khan Yunis and used it as a detention center.

 

An IDF probe, conducted by Col. Erez Katz, focused on the targeting of health facilities, vehicles and medical teams. The probe discovered that out of seven medical personnel claimed to have been killed by the IDF, five were Hamas operatives, including one who was the nephew of the Hamas health minister. Two were civilians.

 

The probe also uncovered a number of cases during which ambulances were used by Hamas to transfer operatives. Testimony by a Palestinian medical worker and obtained by the IDF revealed how Hamas forced the Red Crescent to hand over medic and nurse uniforms for its operatives.

 

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