President Biden defended Israel’s raid of Gaza’s essential hospital Wednesday, reiterating Israeli assertions that Hamas has used the medical facility as a management middle to plan its assaults.
“You’ve got a circumstance the place the primary conflict crime is being dedicated by Hamas by having their headquarters, their army, hidden below a hospital,” Biden mentioned. “And that’s a reality.”
Israeli troops compelled their method into the Al Shifa hospital — which was with out energy, oxygen, water or anesthesia, according to the BBC — within the early morning hours and went room to room trying to find Hamas terrorists, weapons, plans or different proof displaying the group used the power as its army headquarters.
The IDF mentioned it carried out its raid “based mostly on intelligence data and an operational necessity.” It shared movies and photographs purporting to indicate computerized weapons, grenades and ammunition it mentioned belonged to Hamas fighters that have been saved in one of many hospital buildings.
Biden mentioned he totally believes Israel’s claims.
“One factor that’s been established is that Hamas does have headquarters, weapons, supplies under this hospital and I believe others,” he mentioned.
The president mentioned a restricted variety of Israeli troopers armed with weapons went into Al Shifa and likewise introduced in medical provides together with incubators for newborns.
“Israel didn’t go in with a lot of troops, didn’t raid, didn’t rush something down,” Biden informed reporters at an unrelated press convention Wednesday.
“They have been informed… we mentioned the necessity for them to be extremely cautious,” he added.
Hamas has denied working at Al Shifa and accused Israel of planting weapons within the facility.
“The occupation forces are nonetheless mendacity … as they introduced some weapons, garments and instruments and positioned them within the hospital in a scandalous method,” Qatar-based Hamas senior member Ezzat El Rashq mentioned. “We now have repeatedly referred to as for a committee from the United Nations, the World Well being Group and the Crimson Cross to confirm the lies of the occupation.”
Hospitals are protected against assaults in occasions of conflict below worldwide humanitarian regulation. Nevertheless, they will lose that safety if a celebration makes use of the power to launch an assault or to protect a army goal, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Nonetheless, Israel’s raid of the hospital raised considerations from humanitarian teams.
The World Well being Group warned that Israel’s continued orders for the evacuation of Al Shifa and different hospitals “are a loss of life sentence for the sick and injured.”
UN help chief Martin Griffiths mentioned he was “appalled” by the experiences of the army raid of Al Shifa.
“The safety of newborns, sufferers, medical workers and all civilians should override all different considerations,” he wrote on X. “Hospitals aren’t battlegrounds.”
Gaza’s hospitals have change into overwhelmed with sufferers injured from Israeli airstrikes because the Jewish nation started the offensive following Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault that killed 1,200 Israelis.
The airstrikes have since killed about 11,500 Palestinians — 40% of which have been kids — in response to the Hamas-run well being ministry, which the UN has thought of dependable.
Israel has rejected rising requires a ceasefire and the Biden administration has promised its continued help — at the same time as 68% of Individuals mentioned Israel ought to concern a ceasefire, in response to a latest Reuters/Ipsos ballot.
Biden, on Wednesday, mentioned the conflict would solely cease “when Hamas now not maintains the capability to homicide and abuse and simply horrific issues to the Israelis.”
“Hamas has already mentioned publicly that they plan on attacking Israel once more, like they did earlier than — slicing infants’ heads off and burning girls and youngsters alive,” he added. “And so the concept they’re simply gonna cease and never do something shouldn’t be life like.”
With Put up wires