In a declassified intelligence assessment shared by a U.S. official on Tuesday, it was revealed that American spy agencies are confident that Palestinian terrorist groups used Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, to hold hostages and house command infrastructure. The assessment, which offers the firmest U.S. support for Israeli claims about the hospital, also states that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad used the hospital complex for various purposes related to their campaign against Israel.

Although the information released does not fully back some of Israel's most significant allegations about the hospital being the central node for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad activities, the intelligence community stands by its judgment. The assessment further suggests that Hamas members evacuated the hospital complex days before Israeli forces raided it in November and that they destroyed sensitive documents and electronics before the troops entered.

Before the raid, the Israeli military had unveiled a detailed 3D model of the hospital, showcasing a series of underground installations that it claimed were part of an elaborate Hamas command-and-control center. The military operation faced intense international scrutiny and criticism, with critics arguing that it effectively shut down a crucial part of Gaza's medical network without sufficient evidence of Hamas using the hospital as a command post.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Israeli operation, the American intelligence assessment remains firm in its belief that Hamas used the hospital complex for command and control activities, weapon storage, and holding hostages. The assessment is based on information collected by both Israel and the U.S., which has been independently corroborated.

While the spy agencies did not provide visual evidence to support their assessment, they remain confident in its accuracy. The operation to take control of the hospital was initially hoped to result in the rescue of some hostages taken by Palestinian fighters during their October 7 attack on Israel. However, no hostages were rescued, and the bodies of two hostages were found at or near the complex.

The intelligence assessment concludes that while the Israeli assessment was partially correct about hostages being held at or under the complex, it appears that they were moved as Hamas evacuated the hospital. The use of Gaza's hospitals, including Al-Shifa, has been a central point of contention in the narratives surrounding the conflict, with the Hamas-run Health Ministry claiming that the war has resulted in the deaths of 22,100 people. However, the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Hospitals are granted special protected status under the international laws of war, but they can lose that status if they are used for military purposes. The controversy surrounding Al-Shifa Hospital underscores the complex dynamics and challenges faced in conflicts where civilian infrastructure is exploited for military purposes.