After storming Al-Shifa Medical Complex on Wednesday, November 15, the Israeli army published a series of videos claiming to have found weapons and evidence indicating that armed individuals have been present in Al-Shifa Hospital.
Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the Israeli army, stated, “We found weapons, intelligence materials, an operations command center, and technological capabilities, which we transported away to be examined."
The Way Claims Were Shown Casts Doubt on Army Narrative
Conricus said at the beginning of the video that he will do a tour inside parts of the hospital as a “one shot," with no cuts or edits. however, the video, contains a clear cut at 6:23, which indicates that the video was edited and casts doubt on the accuracy of the spokesman’s statement.
The numerous reports that were edited many times cast serious doubts on the claims of the Israeli army. Early on, the Israeli army social media accounts published a video without concealing some scenes. Later, the Israeli army account on X deleted the post and published an edited version where parts of the original video were edited.
The spokesman for the Israeli army also showed pictures of weapons he claimed armed individuals had concealed inside the hospital. However, the pictures showed the weapons inside a power control box, easily accessible to anyone, especially because it contains power buttons that are frequently used, which raises questions about the motive behind hiding them in that location.
Conricus also displayed weapons neatly organized on shelves, next to medicine and other medical supplies. This also raises questions about why these weapons would be openly placed next to frequently used medical equipment and tools withing the hospital.
Additionally, Conricus claimed that Hamas armed fighters put adhesive tape to cover hospital surveillance cameras, but the spokesman did not provide any explanation on why the cameras would be covered instead of completely disabling the surveillance system, or at least deleting its storage drives or even cutting off power from the cameras network.
Analysis of the Shown Techniques
After analyzing the deleted parts of the video, Misbar noticed data that raises doubts about the Israeli army narrative. For instance, the video shows a Lenovo ThinkPad T490 laptop next to a pile of compact discs, which the spokesman claimed contain important military information. However, it is worth noting that the mentioned laptop model does not include a dis drive. Furthermore, compact discs are outdated and insecure method to store sensitive data; they are easily accessible and can be read and copied by anyone. They are also hard to encrypt compared to other storage methods. Moreover, compact discs can also be easily damaged and do not represent a safe way to store data.
Discs Could Contain MRI Machine Data
Another plausible explanation for the presence of these discs could be attributed to the ongoing use of compact discs within medical institutions, despite advancements in medical technology. Two decades ago, compact discs were the primary medium for transferring medical images and results among medical staff and patients. Their convenience in being placed inside a patient's file when moving between locations was a key factor.
An examination of the MRI machine displayed in Al-Shifa room in the video shows that it is a Symphony Maestro series manufactured by Siemens in 1999.
Upon reviewing the machine's catalog, we confirmed that it is compatible with CDs and DVDs for exporting imagery. This strongly indicates that the discs shown in the video likely had a medical purpose.
Signs Show That the Tools Are Related to Hospital Services
The deleted part of the video reveals that the laptop charger had the letters “QI” written on it to distinguish it from other chargers. It is likely that these letters on the charger are related to medical practice, as we found references to QI being short for “Quantitative Imaging," which is one of the techniques used in magnetic resonance imaging to measure the quantitative properties of different tissues. Additionally, “QI” may represent a quality improvement (QI) program designed to reduce waiting time and enhance access to medical services.
Media Reports Contradictions Cast Doubts on Israeli Narrative
Misbar previously analyzed how the Israeli army manipulates the placement of weapons inside Al-Shifa Hospital by comparing a Fox News report to the Israeli army report. This showed discrepancies and contradictions between the images shown and the alleged placement of the weapons inside the hospital.
No Proof of Detainees Presence or Military Command Center in Al-Shifa Hospital
Overall, the Israeli army did not show any clear military centers within Al-Shifa Hospital. The published videos show a few lighter weapons and recent military vests with the “Al-Qassam Brigades” inscription on them, as well as a number of hand grenades, a laptop and a few compact discs. Additionally, the Israeli army did not record a one shot video of how they found and gathered this evidence, the did not also show scenes of storming the hospital. Previously, on October 27, the Israeli army published claims based on confirmed intelligence reports indicating the presence of Hamas headquarters inside and beneath Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza city. Moreover, the Israeli army made a 3D design of a military base and vast centers purportedly existing beneath the Al-Shifa Hospital.
The Israeli army also did not show any evidence of the presence of detainees, despite claiming for weeks before storming Al-Shifa complex that Israeli detainees were held there. Israeli army radio stated after the storming of the hospital that “there were no signs” of Israeli detainees in the hospital. Some analysts criticized Israel for claiming, over an extended period, the presence of armed fighters and detainees were present inside the hospital without presenting any convincing evidence to support these claims. Human Rights Watch stated that Israel did not publish any evidence related to its claims about Al-Shifa hospital.
Israeli Propaganda Campaign Targeting Gaza Hospitals
Israel previously published claims on hospitals providing a safe shelter for Hamas, some of which were shown recently about the presence of Hamas headquarters inside Al-Rantisi Hospital. These claims were reviewed by Misbar in a separate investigation. These claims were accompanied by a wide Israeli propaganda campaign on social media platforms targeting the medical sector in the Gaza strip, as many fake and verified pages named after “Gaza Health Ministry”, these accounts were created to impersonate the institution and publish misleading claims supporting the Israeli narrative on the presence of military centers inside hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
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