So Far, Evidence From Gaza Hospital Is 'Underwhelming'

Israeli troops who raided Gaza's biggest hospital on Wednesday continued to pore over the grounds on Thursday looking for evidence that Hamas used the area as a secret military base. So far, the Israel Defense Forces have displayed photos of a relatively modest cache of guns, bulletproof vests, and other equipment found in the hospital's MRI wing, but no proof yet that the hospital complex played a substantial role in Hamas' strategy, reports the New York Times. Israeli officials insist it will take time to do a thorough search and point out that Hamas knew for days the hospital would be raided and thus had time to hide evidence. Coverage:

• 'Underwhelming:' The evidence presented by the military "so far is underwhelming," Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence for the consulting firm Le Beck, tells the Wall Street Journal. But he, too, said the search would take a while. "This is a very delicate operation, given how quickly it could turn into a bloodbath."

• What they found: The BBC was allowed into the hospital and describes being shown "three small stashes of Kalashnikovs (about 15 in all), ammunition and bulletproof vests." A lieutenant colonel says they also found military pamphlets, maps, and "a lot of computers and other equipment." The BBC was not allowed to see the content of the laptops, but Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus says they contain recent images and video of hostages. "At the end of the day, this is just the tip of the iceberg," he says. "Hamas aren't here because they saw we were coming. This is probably what they were forced to leave behind. Our assessment is that there's much more."
• Pressure: Israel justified its controversial raid on the hospital by asserting that the hospital complex was built atop a maze of tunnels that allowed Hamas members to come and go easily, and to use the hospital as a "command center," per the Messenger. Failing to find evidence of that will ratchet up international pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu, notes the Journal. The Times agrees: "Israel's ability to prove its claim could be key to whether its foreign allies continue to support its military response to Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel."
• No US greenlight: The US had agreed earlier this week with Israel's assessment that Hamas used the hospital complex as a "command-and-control" site, which would be a war crime, notes the Washington Post. But, said national security spokesman John Kirby, "we did not give an okay to their military operations around the hospital—in similar fashion to the fact that we don't give an okay to their other tactical operations." UN's humanitarian relief coordinator tweeted that he was "appalled" by the raid. "The protection of newborns, patients, medical staff and all civilians must override all other concerns," wrote Martin Griffiths. "Hospitals are not battlegrounds."
• Patients: The hospital once had thousands of people, but most have evacuated. Still, the AP estimates that "hundreds of people" remain there, a mix of medical workers and the most vulnerable patients, including infants. With no electricity and scarce medical supplies, the situation is dire by all accounts. The hospital has resorted to using foil to keep premature babies warm.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)