Israel Offers Incubators for Gaza’s Shifa Hospital 

Latest Developments 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) offered to coordinate the transfer of incubators from an Israeli hospital to the Shifa hospital in Gaza, the military said on November 14. “Following the IDF’s offer of humanitarian assistance to the director general of the Shifa Hospital, the IDF initiated a humanitarian effort to coordinate transfer of incubators from a hospital in Israel to the Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip,” the IDF said. The attempt to support Shifa hospital took place as Hamas terrorists continue to control parts of Gaza City. Hamas has used civilians as human shields, and the IDF said on November 13 that there was evidence Israeli hostages were held under the Rantisi hospital in Gaza.  

Expert Analysis 

“Hamas control of Gaza has enabled it to exploit suffering of residents and construct terrorist infrastructure under and near hospitals. As Israel closes in on Hamas leadership, the terrorist group has sought to create a crisis in hospitals around Gaza City to slow Israel’s advance. Removing Hamas from these areas should be a priority.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow 

“Israel has long made claims of Hamas utilizing hospitals as a means to shield themselves, and evidence recently emerging from Rantisi Hospital demonstrates conclusive support for these allegations. As Israeli ground forces advance towards the south, we can anticipate further substantiation of Hamas’s manipulative exploitation of civilian infrastructure.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal 

Hospitals on Front Line of Conflict in Gaza 

Several hospitals in Gaza have come closer to the front line as IDF forces close in on Hamas terrorists. The IDF said on November 14 that it “remains committed to upholding its moral and professional responsibilities to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists.” Israel has urged civilians to leave via humanitarian corridors and head to southern Gaza. While people have evacuated the Rantisi hospital north of Gaza City, the Quds hospital to the southwest of Gaza City remains near a front line and continued to await full evacuation on November 14.  

Hamas Terrorists Fire RPG From Hospital 

On November 12, the IDF released video showing a Hamas terrorist firing an RPG from near the Quds hospital southwest of Gaza City. This is one of several incidents in which Hamas has attempted to use hospitals to shield its terrorist activists. In northern Gaza, a Hamas terrorist commander sought to hold people in the hospital as human shields, according to the IDF.  

Related Analysis 

“Gaza Hospital Basement Used to Confine Hostages, Israel Finds,” FDD Flash Brief 

“What do we know about hospitals in north Gaza? – explainer,” by Seth J. Frantzman 

“Hamas Uses Gaza Hospital as Headquarters,” FDD Flash Brief