Hamas rejects Israeli claims of military use of Gaza hospital after deadly strike nearby

Palestinian group Hamas on Wednesday rejected Israeli claims that a hospital in northern Gaza was being used for military activity, calling them “false and baseless” after a deadly Israeli strike near the facility.

The Israeli army claimed that two Palestinians had emerged from Kamal Adwan Hospital and that one of them planted explosive devices allegedly brought from inside the facility before both were targeted and killed.

It identified one of those killed as Mohammed Tamous, claiming he was a member of Hamas’ armed wing while also working with the Palestinian Civil Defense.

The army provided no evidence to substantiate its claims that explosives had been transferred from the hospital or that the facility was being used for military purposes.

Hamas said Israel’s repeated allegations concerning hospitals, including claims that fighters had emerged from Kamal Adwan Hospital, were “false and baseless.”

The movement said the claims echoed previous Israeli allegations that Hamas maintained command centers inside hospitals, which it said had been disproved.

Hamas accused Israel of using such allegations as a pretext to target hospitals and other civilian facilities in Gaza.

Earlier Wednesday, a Palestinian Civil Defense medic died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike while heading to assist wounded people near Kamal Adwan Hospital, a medical source told Anadolu.

The source said Israeli aircraft struck the area again as the medic was heading to the scene.

Since October 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and injured over 175,000 others, according to Palestinian figures. The war has also destroyed about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure.