The US has “not seen evidence” that there is a Hezbollah bunker underneath the Al Sahel Hospital in Beirut, as Israel has alleged, the defence secretary has said.
Israel has claimed Hezbollah is storing gold and cash in an underground bunker, an allegation the hospital denies.
Asked about the Israeli claims, Lloyd Austin said: “We’ve not seen evidence of that at this point, but you know, we’ll continue to collaborate with our Israeli counterparts to gain better fidelity on exactly what they’re looking at.”
Yesterday, the hospital invited journalists to tour its underground rooms in a bid to prove they did not contain Hezbollah’s cash.
Sky News international correspondent Alex Rossi visited the basement of the hospital and spoke to emergency doctor Omar Mneimne, who called the allegations “wholly un-based”.
There is ‘death in all colours’ in northern Gaza, says surgeon
A surgeon working at the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza has described the situation on the ground there as “disastrous”.
Israel has intensified its military actions in the north of the enclave in recent weeks, ordering thousands of civilians to evacuate their homes.
But Dr Mohammed Obeid, from charity Doctors Without Borders, says dead bodies are lining the streets in northern Gaza and none can be removed due to constant Israeli artillery attacks.
“There are sounds of artillery, bombing and snipers,” he says.
“There is death in all colours and forms in the Kamal Adwan hospital and in the north of Gaza.
“The artillery doesn’t stop. The planes don’t stop. The drones don’t stop. They’ve prevented people from moving from one area to the other seeking safety.”
Dr Obeid says Israel targeted the five-storey house he’s been living in with his family five days ago, forcing him to relocate and shelter inside the Kamal Adwan hospital.
He says the hospital itself has also been targeted by Israeli drones, with medical staff exhausted and wounded.
“The hospital is full of patient cases and full of displaced people,” he adds.
“We don’t have the means to treat the injured. We don’t have the medical staff or surgical equipment.”
“We appeal to all the countries of the world and the World Health Organisation to consider the northern part of Gaza and to lift the blockade that has led to the death of many people,” he added.
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