President Biden accused Hamas of committing a “war crime” by using Gaza’s largest hospital, Al Shifa, for its military operations and to store weapons.
During a press conference after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr. Biden stated, “You have the first war crime being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters or military hidden under a hospital and that’s a fact. That’s what happened.”
The United States has backed Israel’s claim, supported by recent video evidence, that Hamas uses hospitals and schools in the Gaza Strip to hide military operations and hold hostages.
Hamas has consistently denied these allegations.
Mr. Biden stated that the U.S. has information confirming Israel’s assertions, but declined to disclose the methods employed by American intelligence agencies to reach their conclusions.
Israeli forces have surrounded the Al Shifa hospital and have entered the complex, claiming it is necessary to stop Hamas militants. Earlier, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson displayed weapons he said were hidden inside the hospital.
Human rights advocates have criticized Israel’s actions, stating that the maneuver has put innocent Palestinian women and children at risk by denying them necessary medical care. Some reports indicate that babies died in the siege because they were removed from incubators.
Mr. Biden defended Israel’s actions, emphasizing that Hamas is determined to attack the Jewish state, and referred to the decision to storm the hospital as “a terrible dilemma.”
“I think that Israel is also taking risks themselves about their folks being killed going one-to-one through these hospital rooms, or hospital halls,” Mr. Biden said.
“But one thing that has been established is that Hamas does have headquarters, weapons, material below this hospital and I suspect others,” he added.
Under international law, hospitals are protected from military strikes but lose that status if they are used for military purposes.
