Weapons found by Israeli forces at a Hamas command center under Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, in a photo released by the army on Monday, the Times of Israel reported.

Israel-Hamas warPhoto: Abed Rahim Khatib / DPA / Profimedia

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the elite naval unit Shayetet 13 Commandos and the 401st Armored Brigade raided the Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, where children are being treated and where Hamas militants are being held.

“Underneath the hospital, in the basement, we found a Hamas command and control center, suicide vests, grenades, AK-47s, explosive devices, RPGs and other weapons,” Hagari told a news conference in English.

“We also found indications that Hamas is holding hostages here,” he said, adding that it was still under investigation but that the IDF had information to verify it.

“Furthermore, we found evidence that Hamas terrorists returned after the October 7 massacre at this hospital, among other things, after killing Israelis in their homes,” he says.

“Hamas is hiding in hospitals. Today we will reveal it to the world,” he says.

Hagari says the IDF has been working to ensure the safe evacuation of patients from Rantisi over the past week, as well as from other hospitals in northern Gaza.

“Israel helped hospital managers to evacuate patients to a safer hospital,” he says, adding that the IDF has been told that the last 18 patients in Rantis have been safely evacuated.

“This is because our war is against Hamas, not against the people of Gaza. Especially not against the sick, women and children,” he says.

“Our war is against Hamas, which uses them as human shields,” Hagari adds.