Al Jazeera analysis: Hamas tunnels under Al Shifa hospital finally exist or not

The Al Jazeera presented a new analysis, in which he examines all of them claims of Israel for existence tunnel under the hospital Al Shifa in Gaza, which are said to serve as a Hamas command post.

The aljazeera.com in an article entitled “What Israeli videos tell us about Hamas tunnels under Al Shifa“, reports that the Israeli forces announced on Sunday that one was found 55 meters long and 10 meters deep tunnel under the hospital. The statement said the tunnel was found “in the hospital area under a shed along with a vehicle containing several weapons.

The Israeli military also released video recorded with two different cameras on November 17.

The representative Daniel Hagari told reporters the entrance was revealed when a military bulldozer tore down the hospital’s outer wall, revealing a metal spiral staircase that descended 10 meters and led to a metal door designed to withstand blasts. Such doors are commonly found in facilities such as bomb shelters.

But the military analyst Zoran Kusovac cited a civil engineer from Gaza who said that the video actually contains clips from two different tunnels which join together.

The first part of the video shows the vertical shaft going down. It shows features such as load-bearing concrete columns. They appear to have been constructed using normal civil engineering techniques, which would have required large and noisy machinery such as concrete mixers.

Such a construction could not be done in secret, as Hamas tunnels are usually built. The purpose of the construction remains unknown.

The second part of the video shows the horizontal tunnel which has the hallmarks of Hamas tunnels – prefabricated pieces that are connected together section by section.

The contradictions in the evidence

So far no command center has been found, notes Al Jazeera in its analysis. Israeli troops have not yet attempted to open the metal door at the end of the tunnel they claim was under Al Shifa because they fear it could be rigged with explosives, Hagari said.

Kusovac said that many different types of traps can be placed to prevent access to tunnels. Usually, he says, these are improvised explosive devices (IEDs) attached to detonators that can be activated by some wires or even by light or pressure.

They can detect the presence of a person entering the tunnel, activating the explosive device. “IEDs are basically like the toys that big kids make. The more creative you are, the more successful you are,” Kusovac said.

If the military suspects the presence of such traps, standard regulations call for explosives experts to arrive and assess the situation.

Kusovac said this usually takes a few hours and no more than a day. This time delay calls into question the veracity of the Israeli military’s claims.

The CNNamong other news outlets, visited the exposed tunnel shaft and confirmed the existence of a tunnel, but could not determine whether or not the tunnel led to a command center.