Israel-Hamas war, Day 17Israel destroys al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City; cabinet considering expansion of Gaza operations
One of the first targets on the first day of the current round of war between Israel and Hamas was al-Wafa hospital in eastern Gaza City. As is the case with other hospitals in Gaza, Hamas used the facility to store rockets and other arms and shelter Hamas fighters, who also use the hospitals’ upper floors for snipers to shoot at IDF soldiers and for rocket launching – some witnessed by a Financial Times reporter. In the case of al-Wafa, the hospital also served Hamas as a command-and-control center. Yesterday (Wednesday), Israel decided that enough was enough, and that allowing Hamas fighters the freedom to operate behind the patients and staff at the hospital, located in central Gaza City, posed too much of a risk for Israeli forces, and Israel Air Force (IAF) planes finished the destruction of the hospital — after the staff heeded IDF warnings and vacated the facility with the remaining patients. A series of powerful secondary explosions proved that the hospital served Hamas for arms storage. The Israeli cabinet is meeting this morning to consider the expansion of the ground war.
Hospital served as Hamas munitions depot and safe house // Source: ghatreh.com
Seven days ago, on 17 July 2014, we reported that one of the first targets on the first day of the attack was al-Wafa hospital in eastern Gaza City. As is the case with other hospitals in Gaza, Hamas used the facility to store rockets and other arms and shelter Hamas fighters, who also used hospitals’ upper floors for snipers to shoot at IDF soldiers and for rocket launching. In the case of al-Wafa, the hospital also served Hamas as a command-and-control center.
The basements of some of the hospitals have been used as entrance to underground tunnels where Hamas keeps its rocket and where Hamas leaders and their families hide. Three such tunnel openings were on the grounds of al-Wafa.
Earlier yesterday (Wednesday), Israel decided that enough was enough, and that allowing Hamas fighters the freedom to operate behind the patients and staff at the hospital, located in central Gaza City, posed too much of a risk for Israeli forces, and Israel Air Force (IAF) planes finished the destruction of the hospital.
A series of powerful secondary explosions proved that the hospital served Hamas for arms storage.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the IAF had “targeted specific sites” in the al-Wafa rehabilitation hospital compound “in light of several occasions in which fire was opened” and “despite repeated warnings against such activities.”
The Palestinian news agency Ma’an reports that on Wednesday, in line with Israel’s policy, Israel called hospital staff to warn them to vacate the building ahead of the IAF’s attack. The IDF spokesman said that “warnings have been conveyed directly to the hospital administration and other Palestinian officials.”
“The hospital grounds and its immediate surroundings have been repeatedly utilized by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a command center, rocket launching site, and a post” for militants to fire at soldiers, the Israeli military added.
Reports in the Israeli media indicated around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday that Israel had given warning to Gaza’s main hospital, al-Shifa, of an impending strike, but Ma’an reports that an Israeli army spokeswoman contacted by the agency denied the claims.
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, later denied the claims that al-Shifa has been given warnings to evacuate, or that it has been bombed.
