Al-Shifa IDF claims it has found tunnel in hospital

The Israeli military said late yesterday that it uncovered a Hamas tunnel shaft and a vehicle with weapons at Gaza's al-Shifa hospital complex.

- Jason Burke , Julian Borger

"In the Shifa hospital, IDF troops found an operational tunnel shaft and a vehicle containing a large number of weapons," the military said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. The military also made public videos and photographs of the tunnel shaft and weapons, though no further independent verification was possible.

Earlier in the day, the IDF accused Hamas of hiding evidence that would confirm that the extremist Islamist organisation used the hospital as a command and control centre - a charge Israel has made frequently in recent weeks as troops have advanced further into the territory and global anger has mounted.

Israeli special forces moved into the hospital on Wednesday and continued to search the complex in the centre of Gaza City yesterday.

"It is important to emphasise that from the moment the Israeli Defense Forces publicly exposed the use of hospitals for terrorist activity a few weeks ago, Hamas has persistently worked to conceal infrastructure and cover up evidence," an IDF spokesman said yesterday.