WATCH: IDF Discovers Weapons Inside Incubator in NICU in Gaza Hospital

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed Saturday that Israeli troops had discovered weapons inside incubators in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Kamal Adwan hospital — a war crime and a revelation of the hospital’s dual role in the war.

As Breitbart News reported earlier in the week, the IDF had been fighting terrorists in and around the hospital, 70 of whom surrendered, with some emerging carrying their weapons. Anti-Israel media claimed Israel had attacked the hospital, and complained that Israel had arrested a doctor. The same doctor was identified by pro-Israel commentators on social media holding a weapon as he was arrested among the terrorists (Breitbart News could not confirm the accounts of either side in the dispute).

In a video released by the IDF on Saturday, troops — acting on intelligence from interrogated terrorists — entered the NICU area of the hospital and used tools to open an incubator, where a pistol was found tucked among the machinery of the device. Other weapons and ammunition were found below where a baby would be placed.

In a statement, the IDF said (original emphasis)

The IDF completed its activity in the area of the Kamal Adwan hospital, which had been used by Hamas as a command and control center in Jabalya; 90 terrorists were apprehended and numerous weapons were located

Over the last few days, the IDF and ISA [Israel Security Agency] operated in the area of the Kamal Adwan hospital, which had been used by Hamas as a major command and control center in Jabalya. The troops apprehended approximately 80 terrorists, some of whom took part in the atrocious October 7th massacre. In addition, the troops destroyed terror infrastructure in the area and located numerous weapons including AK-47s, RPGs, explosive devices, Nukhba military equipment, technological equipment, and Hamas intelligence documents.

During the activity in the hospital, IDF and ISA forces questioned the hospital workers. The workers confessed that weapons were hidden in incubators in the NICU, incubators that were supposed to be used to treat premature babies. Following the questioning, IDF troops located weapons, classified documents, and tactical communications equipment.

The issue of incubators arose earlier in the war, when Israel surrounded the Shifa Hospital. Critics complained that babies in the NICU were being endangered, whereupon Israel delivered additional incubators as it allowed other patients and staff to evacuate.

Hamas terrorists have used hospitals to fire at Israeli soldiers; to store weapons; to smuggle hostages; and to provide cover to underground tunnels, which are used for transit, for holding hostages, and for conducting command and control operations.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.