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Preemies at Shifa Hospital: US Calls Hamas' Alleged Use of the Facility a War Crime

Photo: Dr. Marawan Abu Saada / dpa

The U.S. government has echoed Israel's narrative that the Islamist Hamas has set up a command center on the grounds of the Al-Shifa hospital in the Gaza Strip. Hamas and the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad operated a "command and control node of al-Shifa in the city of Gaza," U.S. National Security Council communications director John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.

"They have weapons stored there and they are prepared to respond to an Israeli military operation against the facility," Kirby said aboard the presidential plane Air Force One. He spoke of a "war crime". According to Kirby, the assessment of the hospital's use as a Hamas command center is based on the United States' own findings.

The Israeli army accuses Hamas of building its military headquarters in tunnels under Al-Shifa Hospital. Hamas rejects this. Heavy fighting has been going on for days in the vicinity of the largest clinic in the Gaza Strip.

According to the UN, at least 2300,<> people - patients, employees and refugees - are stuck on the grounds of the hospital. US President Joe Biden had called on Israel on Monday to be considerate of the hospital in the fighting in the Gaza Strip: "The hospital must be protected."

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Tuesday called for a "safe evacuation" of patients from hospitals in the Gaza Strip. These should be carried out by an "independent" and "respected" organization. Miller said the Israeli government agreed, but the question was whether Hamas would let the patients go or continue to use them as "human shields."

Hundreds of Hamas fighters invaded Israel on October 7 and committed atrocities, mostly against civilians. According to Israeli figures, about 1200,240 people were killed in Israel and about <> people were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military has been attacking targets in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack and has also advanced into the Palestinian territory with ground troops. According to Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, more than 11,300 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip so far.

wal/AFP