The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that it has intelligence suggesting that Hamas is using hospitals in Gaza to support their military operations and hold hostages. The confirmation comes after Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari shared a video showing a tunnel that led from the house of a senior terrorist to a bulletproof and explosive-proof door connected to Rantisi hospital, which Hamas used as a base.

During a briefing, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that the Pentagon believes hospitals should be places for medical treatment and should be protected. She revealed that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad use hospitals in Gaza, including the al-Shifa hospital, to conceal and support their military operations. Singh also mentioned that Hamas operates a command control node from al-Shifa hospital where they store weapons and are prepared to respond to Israeli military operations.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also confirmed the information, emphasizing that hospitals and patients must be protected while stating that the U.S. does not support striking hospitals from the air.

This information surfaces just weeks after the IDF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, criticized mainstream media outlets for running with Hamas' claims that Israel was responsible for an explosion at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. It was later determined that Hamas fired missiles from Gaza, discrediting the claims of a direct hit on the facility.

The IDF has released video footage showing the inside of a tunnel system used by Hamas terrorists, connecting to a hospital where the militants based their operations. The video shows IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari standing in front of the house of a senior terrorist and subsequently showing an operational tunnel with electrical wires leading to a bulletproof door. Hagari then takes the camera crew into the tunnel and to the hospital, where evidence of a Hamas operation is found.

Inside the hospital, IDF officials found gear belonging to Hamas, including hand grenades, vests packed with explosives, and rocket-propelled grenades. The basement area also contained a motorcycle that had a bullet hole, suggesting its use in a previous invasion by Hamas terrorists. Additionally, a chair with women's clothing and a rope next to the legs of the chair, as well as a baby bottle on a metal box with a World Health Organization sign, were found. IDF officials suspect that this space was used to hold hostages.

Hagari also pointed out diapers, an improvised ventilation system, toilets, a shower, a small kitchen, and a hideout for hostages with curtains covering a wall made of cinder blocks. He showed a list in Arabic, which he claimed was a guardian list where every terrorist writes their name and has their own shift for guarding the people in the hospital.

The IDF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, criticized Hamas for their actions, stating that they are an organization that will "butcher babies in their bedrooms" and have no problem lying. The U.S. Department of Defense believes it is important to bring this information to light to address questions about Hamas' operations in hospitals and to emphasize the need to protect innocent civilians seeking medical care.

Overall, the information provided by the U.S. Department of Defense and the IDF raises concerns about the use of hospitals by Hamas for military purposes, including the storage of weapons and the potential holding of hostages. It highlights the need to ensure the protection of hospitals and patients while combatting terrorist organizations.