US claims Hamas uses Gaza hospitals as military shelters

(Patria) - The White House said on Tuesday that its independent intelligence data supports Israel's claim that Hamas is using hospitals in Gaza, including the largest one, to hide command posts and hostages.

White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on the presidential plane Air Force One that intelligence confirmed that Hamas, which governs Gaza, had used tunnels under Al-Shifa and other hospitals to conceal military operations and hold hostages, Reuters reported.

Israel has made the same claims, which Hamas denies.

"We have information that confirms that Hamas is using that particular hospital for a command and
control node" and likely for storing weapons, Kirby said.

"This is a war crime," he added.

Five weeks after Israel vowed to destroy Hamas in retaliation for an cross-border attack, the fate of Al-Shifa has become a focal point of international alarm, including from Israel's closest ally, the United States.

Israeli forces have engaged in fierce street fighting against Hamas fighters over the past ten days, advancing into the center of Gaza City and surrounding Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in the coastal enclave.

Kirby said that US intelligence had come through various methods, but he could not be
precise about the evidence.

Hamas said on Telegram that it rejected the US claims about using hospitals and that they "give the green light to the Israeli occupation to commit further brutal massacres targeting hospitals".