The Israeli military has revealed evidence of Hamas’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, with Kamal Adwan Hospital serving as a hub for operations. During a recent joint operation by the IDF’s 401st Brigade, Shin Bet, and Unit 504, more than 240 Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives were detained near the hospital. Among those captured was Anas Muhammad Faiz al-Sharif, a 21-year-old member of Hamas’ elite Nukhba force, who disclosed details of the group’s activities during interrogation.
Al-Sharif, who joined Hamas in 2021 and worked as a janitor at the hospital, described how the facility was used to transport weapons, launch attacks, and distribute arms to fighters. “They believe the hospital is a safe haven for them because the military cannot directly target it with an F-16 missile or destroy the building since there are civilians and patients there,” he said.
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The IDF’s operation at Kamal Adwan Hospital, conducted on December 29, followed weeks of preparatory actions, including clearing explosives and targeting smaller Hamas cells in the area. By the time the assault began, escape routes had been sealed, and Hamas fighters attempting to flee were intercepted.
Al-Sharif’s testimony highlighted Hamas’ strategy of embedding operations within civilian infrastructure, exploiting the assumption that hospitals would remain off-limits to military strikes under international law. “Weapons were moved in and out of the hospital for ambushes and tunnels,” he said. The IDF emphasized that intelligence from these arrests has been crucial for ongoing operations.