The Government Media Office in Gaza has dismissed Israeli military claims of a “resistance tunnel” beneath the European Gaza Hospital in southern Gaza, labeling the allegations as “fabricated, flawed and full of loopholes.”
A video released by the Israeli army, purportedly showing the tunnel, was described as “flimsy and made in a naive manner” by the media office.
They emphasized that the footage depicted a narrow iron pipe, unsuitable for human passage, lacking stairs or equipment, and located in an area designated for rainwater drainage.
The media office accused Israeli forces of orchestrating the scene, alleging that they dug the site, placed the pipe, and filmed a “dramatic scene” near the hospital’s crowded emergency department.
“The examination indicates that the occupation forces were the ones who dug the site and placed the pipe,” the office stated.
This incident, they claimed, is part of a pattern of “fabricated false narratives about hospitals,” referencing similar unproven claims about tunnels under al-Shifa, Nasser, and Hamad hospitals, none of which were substantiated.
The media office’s statement comes amid a deepening healthcare crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by a severe fuel shortage threatening hospital operations.
Munir al-Bursh, director of the Gaza Health Ministry, warned:
He highlighted Israel’s prevention of fuel entry as “cutting off the lifeline to hospitals” and noted a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies, with WHO trucks stalled at the Rafah border.
Al-Bursh urged international and Islamic organizations to act swiftly to break the siege, as emergency plans falter under the strain of dwindling resources.