IDF ground troops and “Yahalom” soldiers operating in the Beit Hanoun area on Wednesday located a tunnel shaft near a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The troops destroyed the terror tunnel, the IDF said.
It was only one of hundreds of civilian sites being used by the terrorist organization — a blatant violation of international law.
In a joint statement on Wednesday evening, the IDF and Shin Bet revealed the ways in which Hamas exploits hospitals, ambulances, clinics, mosques and schools for its terrorist activities, noting that Hamas also uses ambulances to transfer weapons and terrorist operatives in Gaza.
“This is another example of how the Hamas terrorist organization exploits civilian infrastructure and uses civilians as human shields,” the IDF and Shin Bet said.
One Hamas terrorist operative actually said it, plainly, in a recording of a conversation revealed by the Military Intelligence Directorate. During the conversation between a Gaza resident and a Hamas terrorist, the operative commented, “I can leave with any ambulance I want.”
Here are some quotes from the Shin bet investigations of Hamas “Nukhba” terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre and invasion of southern Israel along the Gaza border, regarding Hamas’ use of hospitals and ambulances to benefit military activity:
– “Al-Qassam have their own ambulances, some of which are located on the military base. The appearance of the ambulances is similar to the civilian ambulances so that they will not arouse suspicion or be bombed by Israel.”
– “During combat, the ambulances are used, among other things, to evacuate fighters – commanders and operatives. They also transport food, cargo and weapons in them because that is the safest way to transport them.”
– “Most senior Hamas political and military officials are hiding in the hospitals, especially the Shifa Hospital. They take advantage of the hospitals so that they will not be bombed.”
– “Hamas stores weapons and ammunition under schools.”
– “Many places in the Gaza Strip are rigged, the cables leading to the operating system are in civilian mosques and clinics.”
Clearly Hamas terrorists constitute a privileged class in an enclave where Gazans live in unparalleled misery.
