Israeli health officials blast WHO’s ‘blind eye’ to Shifa hospital’s use by Hamas
IDF finds additional tunnels underneath the hospital
While the Israeli army continues to find and publish more evidence of Hamas terrorists using Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital as a command center, Israeli health officials blasted the World Health Organization (WHO) for refusing to clearly condemn the Hamas terror organization.
The IDF announced on Tuesday that it had breached the massive blast door found in a tunnel underneath the Shifa hospital in Gaza City.
Israel Defense Forces had previously published video footage of a 180-ft tunnel shaft at the bottom of a 33-ft deep staircase, ending at a blast door with a firing port. The door wasn’t immediately breached due to fear of booby traps around and behind it.
Several days later, the IDF on Tuesday published two photos showing the breached door and the tunnel behind it, without yet announcing any further information about possible finds.
The IDF has been continuously publishing evidence of the use of the hospital by Hamas for terror activities, including mock-ups of the tunnel system below the hospital based on intelligence, as well as CCTV footage of terrorists and civilian accomplices dragging hostages into the hospital after the abductions on Oct. 7.
In light of the new information, Israeli Health Minister Uriel Bosso and the ministry's director-general, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, sent a protest letter to the WHO and its director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who has repeatedly attacked Israel while not condemning Hamas for taking Israeli hostages.
“Tragically, the WHO has remained silent when it comes to this issue and has taken only symbolic steps for the benefit of the Israelis in captivity, while speaking out decisively and critically against Israel’s efforts to overthrow Hamas and protect Palestinian citizens,” the letter stated.
“On November 2, Dr. Michael Ryan, director of WHO health emergencies program, said he knew what was going on ‘above ground’ at Shifa and was aware that the use of medical facilities for military purposes is forbidden according to international law. Meanwhile, he claimed to doubt that any terror activities were happening at Shifa,” the Israeli Health Ministry's leaders continued.
“In light of this evidence, it is clear that the description given by Dr. Michael Ryan of what was happening at the hospital to the international community was wrong and misleading… It is now clear that the WHO has at least turned a blind eye to the use of medical facilities for terrorist purposes,” they added.
“In its failure to address these issues, the WHO is contributing to the continuation of the conflict that is causing great suffering to many.”
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
