IDF Releases Documents It Says Show Hamas and Islamic Jihad Using Gaza Hospitals

The IDF released documents on Friday, November 13, that it says detail Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad's use of Gaza hospitals for military activities. The military said troops seized the records in Gaza; the documents concern activities in 2019 and 2020. According to the IDF, a 2019 Hamas military-intelligence document was recovered near the safe house of the deputy commander of the Eastern Khan Younis Battalion. It describes procedures for monitoring suspects, field interrogations, confiscating belongings and house arrest coordinated with security authorities. The IDF said it identifies interrogation sites: “a location in Nasser Hospital, another location in the Red Crescent Hospital, and another location in the European Hospital.” The military said a separate 2020 record was found in a vehicle carrying equipment near Shifa Hospital. It describes criticism of Islamic Jihad's military or security use of Shifa, Al-Rantisi and Kamal Adwan hospitals, according to the IDF. The activities described include placing mortar shells, documenting rocket launches, taking over offices and establishing an operations room. The IDF also said Hamas had used Nasser Hospital for terrorist activities both before the war and since it began, including in recent weeks. It argued that the armed groups were exploiting the special protection afforded to hospitals under international law.