Israel is pushing world agencies to break their silence and condemn Palestinian militant group Hamas' use of hospitals as cover for terrorist activities.
"We're demanding international accountability now from the global agencies that have said absolutely nothing about Hamas's abuse of hospitals as human shields," Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson, told BBC Radio.
Israeli officials allege that Hamas is using Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as a main command center and have made several discoveries – including a cache of weapons and an underground tunnel shaft – that seemingly support their claim.
Over the weekend, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released closed-circuit television footage showing Hamas fighters forcibly transporting hostages through the hospital.
Amid the IDF's continued retaliation for the brutal Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israeli officials have frequently argued that the United Nations and other international organizations have not firmly denounced the terrorists.
The daybreak attack on the Jewish state resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis, and left hundreds more wounded or taken hostage. Five of the hostages have been freed, while two have been found dead, and the fate of the rest remains unknown.
Last week, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution that calls for humanitarian pauses in Israel's military campaign against Hamas and for "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups." The resolution does not condemn the terror group's Oct. 7 incursion into Israel, however.
"The Security Council's resolution is disconnected from reality and is meaningless," Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan said, according to the Washington Examiner. "Regardless of what the council decides, Israel will continue acting according to international law while the Hamas terrorists will not even read the resolution at all, let alone abide by it."
"It is unfortunate that the council continues to ignore, not condemn, or even mention the massacre that Hamas carried out on Oct. 7, which led to the war in Gaza," he continued. "It is truly shameful! Hamas's strategy is to deliberately deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and increase the number of Palestinian casualties in order to motivate the U.N. and the Security Council to stop Israel. It will not happen. Israel will continue to act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned."
On Monday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog made similar comments, telling Fox News that the U.N. is a "hypocritical organization" that has been using "antisemitic language and rhetoric" for many years and regularly issuing "automatic resolutions against Israel."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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