Israel: Hamas is rebuilding its capabilities and we may attack Gaza hospitals

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An Israeli military source revealed, in exclusive statements to Al Arabiya, that the Hamas movement continues to develop offensive plans against Israel, including operations to kidnap Israeli soldiers, in conjunction with attempts to rebuild its military capabilities and manufacture weapons inside the Gaza Strip.

The source said that the movement now feels more free to move within the areas of the Gaza Strip, noting that its battalions and brigades are still working, despite the Israeli military operations that targeted its organizational structure during the war.

He added that Hamas continues to plan new attacks, in addition to attempts to bring in weapons and equipment from outside Gaza, at a time when it faces increasing difficulties in obtaining military supplies.

According to the source, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement are increasingly relying on locally available resources to manufacture weapons intended for ground combat, as a result of restrictions that hinder the entry of equipment from abroad.

The Israeli military source spoke about Hamas continuing to recruit new members to compensate for its losses, but pointed out that training operations have become shorter, and that the capabilities of the new recruits are less compared to the elements that the movement previously relied on.

He claimed that Hamas's control over food distribution during previous stages helped it attract people, including children, in exchange for food vouchers. He also accused the movement's members of using schools to spend the night and exploiting humanitarian aid for organizational purposes.

In other accusations, the source said that Hamas and armed Palestinian factions use Gaza Strip hospitals as places to move and hide among the population, as they are safer locations than others. He claimed that prominent members and leaders of the movement reside inside some hospitals, and close entire floors to meet the organization’s needs.

He added that, according to him, the Israeli army monitors hospitals from which activities related to Hamas’ financial structure are managed.

He also accused the movement of using medical facilities to detain and torture people suspected of collaborating with Israel, as well as Palestinians who oppose it.

He claimed that fear of Hamas prevents some Gazans from objecting to the presence of its members inside hospitals, stressing that the Israeli army has examples of opponents being subjected to torture inside those facilities.

He pointed out that using hospitals for non-medical purposes, according to the Israeli narrative, exposes civilians to danger and obstructs the provision of health services, in addition to exploiting equipment designated for treating patients.

The source said that Israeli forces found large quantities of weapons and equipment used in their manufacture inside the Jordanian Hospital in Gaza.

Regarding the future of military operations, the source said that Israel does not monitor any indications that Hamas is ready to give up its weapons, considering that the continued presence of its members inside hospitals reinforces this assessment.

He warned of the possibility of carrying out new Israeli military operations against hospitals in the Gaza Strip if the current situation continues, describing those facilities as having become, according to the Israeli military assessment, important centers for the movement’s activities.

He stressed that the Israeli army took warning and evacuation measures before its previous operations during which hospitals were damaged, noting that the forces seek to avoid targeting medical facilities.

However, international humanitarian law imposes special protection for hospitals, patients and medical staff. Medical facilities do not lose this protection simply because there are allegations of their military use. Rather, any exception is subject to strict conditions, including the nature of the use and prior warning when required, while adhering to the principles of distinction and proportionality and taking the necessary precautions to protect civilians.

These statements come in light of the continuing dispute over the future of Hamas’ weapons and security arrangements in the Gaza Strip, which are issues related to efforts to stabilize the ceasefire and determine the form of administration and security in the next stage.