The Israeli military recently attacked a Gaza ambulance, claiming it was being used by Hamas terrorists in violation of the laws of war. According to the IDF’s statement, an ambulance was used by a Hamas terrorist cell, provoking a deadly airstrike. The Israeli Defense Forces have repeatedly warned civilians in the Gaza Strip to flee to the south.
The attack happened near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where Hamas has a massive underground command center that is illegal under international law. The use of human shields constitutes a war crime, and online evidence shows that Hamas organized a huge audience at the hospital to observe as their terrorists engaged in hostilities against Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza.
Reports claim that Hamas attempted to employ ambulances to take wounded fighters out of Gaza for treatment at Egyptian hospitals. In this effort, Egypt and the United States examined a list of “seriously wounded” fighters who were to be evacuated. The review found that many of the names on the list belonged to Hamas fighters, hence the list was disregarded. None of the 76 injured Palestinians taken out of Gaza in ambulances were members of the terror group, according to the final tally.
Oxygen concentrators, which are used to aerate tunnels used by terrorists, were also discovered being smuggled by senior Israeli officials on aid trucks destined for Gaza. The underground character of these operations is further highlighted by the fact that these concentrators were not designed for use in a medical setting.
In a shocking admission, Palestinian leaders confirmed their use of ambulances to disguise their movements, therefore committing war crimes. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas previously pointed out that Hamas officials prioritize their group’s survival over the well-being of Gaza’s residents. To highlight this point, he said that during a previous fight, Hamas officials “fled to the Sinai in ambulances, leaving their people behind to be slaughtered.”
The tragedy and its aftermath highlight the interconnected nature of the many problems plaguing the region, including the treatment and security of civilians.