Israeli Army Claims Discovery of Tunnel Shaft Under al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

The Israeli army has announced the discovery of a tunnel shaft beneath al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza. The tunnel, measuring 55 meters in length and 10 meters in depth, was found near the largest medical facility in Gaza, which has been surrounded by Israeli troops for days. The army released a video showing a soldier entering the tunnel through a staircase and an arched concrete passage leading to a door. The tunnel was located under a shed next to a vehicle containing various weapons. According to the Israeli military, the entrance was revealed when a bulldozer knocked down a wall of the hospital complex, exposing a fortified shaft with a spiral staircase. As of now, the army has not attempted to open the blast-proof door for fear of booby traps. The army believes that there may be additional access shafts in the vicinity and will continue searching the area. Israel has accused al-Shifa Hospital of harboring a Hamas command center, a claim that Hamas and hospital staff deny.

This discovery is one of many tunnels in Gaza, but it raises concerns about the Israeli government’s repeated justification for its actions against Gaza, claiming that there is a ‘city under a city.’ The situation at al-Shifa Hospital has drawn international attention, with the World Health Organization labeling it a ‘death zone’ after its inspection on Saturday. Thousands of people, including critically ill patients and newborns, were forced to evacuate the hospital over the weekend. The siege of the hospital has amplified the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the high number of civilian casualties continues to be a point of contention.

The credibility of the Israeli army’s claims should be assessed with caution, considering the politically charged nature of the conflict and the history of false or exaggerated allegations made by both sides. Additionally, the lack of independent verification of the tunnel’s purpose or any evidence linking it directly to Hamas raises questions about the veracity of the army’s account. The impact of this information on the public’s perception is likely to be influenced by their pre-existing biases and the prevalence of misinformation in the media. In a politically polarized landscape, news consumers should seek multiple credible sources and critically evaluate the presented information to develop a nuanced understanding of the situation.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/19/israeli-army-says-it-found-a-55-metre-tunnel-under-gazas-al-shifa-hospital