The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that Hamas operates out of hospitals based in Gaza, administration officials revealed on Tuesday after the information was declassified.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of embedding itself within and underneath hospitals in recent days as fighting has taken place near them in northern Gaza, while the Tuesday announcements from National Security Council coordinator John Kirby and deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh seemingly affirm their recent claims.
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"I can confirm for you that we have information that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad use some hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including al Shifa, and tunnels underneath them to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages," Kirby said on Tuesday. "Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad members operate a command-and-control node from al Shifa in Gaza City. They have stored weapons there, and they're prepared to respond to an Israeli military operation against that facility."
He went on to describe Hamas's particular use of this hospital as a command-and-control node as "a war crime" and said Hamas has "deeply embedded itself within the civilian population" in Gaza, which makes avoiding civilian casualties much more difficult for Israeli forces.
Singh reaffirmed that the United States does not have a military presence in Gaza, but she would not divulge information about the intelligence they have that they said proves Hamas is using al Shifa hospital. Kirby wouldn't share similar details either.
Even with Hamas operating in hospitals, the U.S. does not support targeting them with airstrikes, nor does the U.S. want to "see a firefight in the hospital where innocent people, helpless people, [and] sick people, are simply trying to get the medical care that they deserve," Kirby said.
Over the weekend, national security adviser Jake Sullivan affirmed broadly that "Hamas does use hospitals along with a lot of other civilian facilities for command-and-control, for storing weapons, for housing its fighters" but was not referencing any "specific hospital."
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U.S. officials have repeatedly said that Israel should do more to prevent civilian casualties, given a staggering death toll that has exceeded 11,000, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. Administration officials have cast doubt on the veracity of that death toll, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians, but they also have access that most other international organizations do not.
Israeli leaders have said their goal is to remove Hamas from power in Gaza and to strip them of their military capabilities, though the country's next steps remain unknown. The U.S. has resisted international calls for the country to push Israel to agree to a ceasefire, arguing that any deal that leaves Hamas in power in Gaza with the intent and capability to carry out future terrorist attacks against Israel is a deal-breaker.