Israeli military reveals underground bunker of Hamas militants under Gaza's Shifa hospital

Foreign journalists were given a rare glimpse into Gaza's besieged enclave on Wednesday, November 22, after the Israeli military revealed what appeared to be a subterranean dormitory under Gaza's Shifa Hospital, reported Associated Press. The underground bunker is claimed to be used by Hamas military facility.

The military escorted journalists in a 150-metre tunnel to discover a series of underground bunkers underneath Shifa Hospital in a shattered Gaza city accompanied by dozens of soldiers.

There was an air conditioner, kitchen, bathroom, and metal cots in a room made of rusty white tile in the living quarters at the end of the tunnel. It appeared that they were no longer in use.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using Gaza's hospitals as a cover for military operations since it declared war on the Islamic militant group on October 7. Shifa has received particular attention since Hamas allegedly has bunkers and command centres hidden beneath the sprawling hospital.

Despite not yet revealing this purported centre, Israel's military described the underground hideout as its most significant discovery. Israel's accusations have been denied by Hamas and the hospital administration.

"Shifa Hospital is the hugest hospital in Gaza, and it's also the hugest terror facility of Hamas," said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, as bombardment thundered nearby. "Hamas battalion commanders were conducting command and control, firing rockets from here."

Hagari's claims could not be independently verified by AP.

The Associated Press was allowed access to Gaza as long as its journalists accompanied the Israeli military convoy and submitted all materials to a military censor for review before publication. The enclave is currently inaccessible to foreign journalists.

At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 others were taken hostage by Hamas' October 7 cross-border attack. According to health officials in Hamas-ruled territory, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's aerial campaign and ground invasion.

In its mission to topple Gaza's Hamas rulers, Israel describes the heavy toll as the inevitable cost of fighting militants who use civilians as human shields and fire rockets from densely populated neighbourhoods.

A group of foreign journalists was shown weaponry by Israeli soldiers at Shifa on Wednesday, including AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and drones. According to Hagari, the cache was just a small sample.

In its efforts to bomb Hamas' tunnel network and other targets, the Israeli military has ploughed through northern Gaza over the past month, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Israeli troops have been ambushed by Hamas fighters using the underground network. Additionally, the army says it uncovered two shafts near Shifa in addition to the tunnel it showed journalists.

Even though the trip was tightly controlled by the Israeli army, journalists were able to see glimpses of Gaza's daily life. At least a dozen exhausted Palestinians gathered their belongings outside the hospital gates, apparently in preparation for an evacuation.

In the besieged hospital, hundreds of patients and doctors remain stranded. Last week, thousands of Palestinians who had sheltered in the courtyard fled south as Israeli tanks closed in.

Several Palestinians leaning out of a window at Shifa locked eyes with journalists at one point. One man gave a thumbs-up. Others started to yell. Israeli soldiers shepherded the journalists away.

Gaza City's ghostly streets were littered with the ruins of collapsed buildings, sprinkling rubble everywhere. One abandoned building's facade had been blown off, revealing furnished living rooms, glassware in cabinets, and mirrors on walls. In order to make room for more tanks, fortified bulldozers clawed their way through sand and gravel.

On the side of a road, about 20 Israeli soldiers sat. Photographers snapped pictures of them as they smiled and posed.

"There's a great morale. Everyone is ready to do what has to be done. Everyone's ready to fight for the country," said Staff Sgt Oren, an Israeli soldier who said he is originally from Los Angeles. "Even when it's hard, you sit with your friends and joke around a little bit. At the end of the day, you know why you're here."