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Revelations from Ehud Barak on CNN. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak disclosed to Christiane Amanpour that Israel was responsible for constructing bunkers beneath the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. This claim, emerging amidst ongoing tensions in the region, provides a new perspective on the complex history and current dynamics in Gaza.
Ehud Barak stated, “It’s already [been] known for many years that they have the bunkers that originally [were] built by Israeli constructors underneath Shifa [which] were used as a command post of Hamas”.
This revelation suggests a historical intertwining of Israeli construction and current military strategies employed by Hamas.
A History of Control and Consequences
The history of these bunkers dates back decades when Israel controlled the Gaza Strip.
“It was probably five or four decades ago that we helped (the Palestinians) to build these bunkers in order to enable more space for the operation of the hospital within the very limited size of this compound,” Ehud Barak explained.
This detail sheds light on Israel’s long-standing influence in Gaza, dating back to its capture of the territory from Egypt in 1967. Ehud Barak’s interview also highlighted that these bunkers are not the only military structures under hospitals or sensitive areas in Gaza.
They have reportedly been used by Hamas for various operations during conflicts, including the recent ones. This assertion points to a broader strategy of utilizing civilian infrastructure for military purposes, a topic that has been a subject of international debate and concern.
The interview was a moment of clarity for Christiane Amanpour and viewers alike, as it underscored the layered history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Barak’s admission speaks to the unintended consequences of past actions, where infrastructure built for one purpose has been repurposed in the ongoing conflict, further complicating the already intricate geopolitical landscape of the region.
