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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel’s attempts to minimise civilian casualties were “not successful”, and he further accused Hamas of preventing civilians from moving to safer locations.
As reported by Reuters, during an interview with US television’s CBS News on Thursday, Netanyahu faced inquiries regarding the possibility that the actions of Israel, which have led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, might sow seeds of animosity in a new generation.
“Any civilian death is a tragedy. And we shouldn’t have any because we’re doing everything we can to get the civilians out of harm’s way, while Hamas is doing everything to keep them in harm’s way,” Netanyahu said.
“So we send leaflets, (we) call them on their cell phones, and we say: ‘leave’. And many have left,” he added.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday found a tunnel allegedly used by Hamas militants at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital.
Also Read: IDF finds evidence Hamas hid weapons in Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital. Top 10 updates
IDF released a video showing what they claim to be a tunnel entrance located in an outdoor area of Al Shifa, which is Gaza’s largest hospital.
Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed concern that no aid would be delivered to Palestinians on Friday via the Rafah crossing with Egypt, Reuters reported.
The video, the authenticity of which Reuters could not promptly confirm, showed a cavity in the ground, strewn with debris made of concrete, wood, and sand.
The scene suggested extensive excavation, with the presence of a bulldozer visible in the background.
The army said its troops also found a vehicle in the hospital containing a large number of weapons.
Also Read: Hamas, Israel close to settlement on hostage release, awaiting Israeli confirmation
Reuters reported that Hamas said in a statement late on Thursday that claims by the Pentagon and US State Department that the group uses Al Shifa for military purposes “is a repetition of a blatantly false narrative, demonstrated by the weak and ridiculous performances of the occupation army spokesman.”
The United States is confident in an assessment from its own intelligence agencies on Hamas activities in Al Shifa hospital and will neither share nor elaborate on it, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday.
Also Read: A child killed on average every 10 minutes in Gaza, says WHO. Top-10 updates
Both telecom companies in Gaza reported a complete outage of services in the region due to depleted energy supplies.
Meanwhile, Israel has refused to allow fuel imports, citing concerns that Hamas could potentially use them for military purposes. With communication systems down and a lack of fuel, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, stated that coordinating humanitarian aid truck convoys has become impossible.
“If the fuel does not come in, people will start to die because of the lack of fuel. Exactly as from when, I don’t know. But it will be sooner rather than later,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
Also Read: Israel uncovers alleged Hamas tunnel connected to Gaza’s Rantisi Children’s Hospital | Video
As of late Thursday night, there was no further word from the companies, Paltel and Jawwal, whose internet, mobile phone and landline networks remained inoperable.
Gaza health authorities deemed reliable by the United Nations said at least 11,500 people have been confirmed killed in an Israeli bombardment and ground invasion – more than 4,700 of them children.
The Israeli military’s chief of staff said Israel was close to destroying Hamas’ military system in the northern Gaza Strip and there were signs the army was taking its campaign to other parts of the enclave of 2.3 million people.
Israel distributed pamphlets telling civilians to leave four towns in southern Gaza, areas Gazans had been previously told would be safe.
Israeli officials said Hamas held some of the 240 hostages taken by gunmen on Oct. 7 in the hospital complex. The body of a woman hostage was recovered by troops in a building near Al Shifa on Thursday, the army said.
Military equipment including Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were also found in the building, it said.
“Hospitals only lose those protections if it can be shown that harmful acts have been carried out from the premises,” the watchdog’s UN Director Louis Charbonneau said.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on his first visit to Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, called on Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza.
“I understand your rage but let me ask you not to be consumed by rage,” Borrell said. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said Hamas was to blame not only for the Oct. 7 attack but also for the current plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
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