Hamas Using Women and Children as Human Shields, and Its HQ Is Beneath Gaza's Largest Hospital

ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER – Churches, schools and hospitals: Hamas uses all three as cover for its operations in Gaza, including its main base underneath Gaza's largest hospital. Hundreds of terrorists are also hiding behind civilians, using the women and children of Gaza as human shields.

Dr. Nasser Bulbul, head of the NICU at Al-Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, says they are on the verge of running out of critical supplies to keep some of their most vulnerable patients alive. "We do not know what to do as we are facing a severe shortage of medical supplies, ventilators, and essential life-saving medicines," Bulbul said.

While Gazans continue to face severe shortages, deep beneath Al-Shifa hospital, Israel says Hamas has stored up ample food, water, fuel, and other critical supplies, including weapons, to carry out its war against the Jewish state.

IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said, "Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa Hospital and other hospitals in Gaza with a network of terror tunnels."

The IDF released an animated video claiming that the terror group operates its command-and-control headquarters from several underground complexes beneath Al-Shifa.

"Hamas also has an entrance to those terror tunnels from inside the hospital wards, meaning from different places of the hospital you can go to an underground tunnel that will provide you shelter," Hagari said.

The Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip has been using human shields in conflicts with Israel since 2007.

This CBN News report knows how it feels to be used as a human shield. "I was in Gaza City during Israel's 2014 war with Hamas. Almost every night, I could see Hamas fighters assembling then firing off their rockets into Israel from the basement of my hotel. Hamas knew Israel wouldn't hit the hotel because it was filled with foreign journalists," CBN News Senior International Correspondent George Thomas recalls.

A captured Hamas fighter who infiltrated Israel on October 7th has told interrogators that the terror group uses hospitals, like Al-Shifa, to hide their fighters and weapons because such places are often teeming with civilians.

"I told you Shifa is a safe place, it will not be struck. To them it is safe, that's what we know," the Hamas terrorist revealed.

Don’t just take it from us, watch what the terrorists from the October 7 massacre had to say about the Shifa hospital: https://t.co/IlFPjtyGeP pic.twitter.com/zLLE4C9otz

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 28, 2023

And it's not just hospitals. 

Hamas often uses structures closest to schools, mosques and even churches, from which they can hide weapons, fighters and launch rockets. 

On October 20th, a prominent Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City sustained heavy damage when Israel hit the headquarters of a Hamas commander.

The IDF released a video of the strike to CBN News, telling us that the terrorist's home was 50 meters from the church. The ensuing explosion destroyed a part of the church and reportedly killed 18 Palestinian Christians.

"Hamas not only endangers the lives of Israeli civilians but also exploits innocent Gazan civilians as human shields," Hagari said. "The IDF will continue making efforts to minimize harm to the civilian population and continue to act in accordance with international law."