In a recent statement, White House spokesman John Kirby announced that the United States will not be sharing any Israeli intelligence or providing further details regarding its own assessment that Hamas used Gaza's Al Shifa hospital as a command center and potentially as a storage facility. Kirby emphasized that the U.S. is confident in its own intelligence agencies' assessment of Hamas activities at the hospital. The decision to withhold this information is based on the fact that the sources of U.S. intelligence have not been declassified, as some of those channels are currently being used to track hostage statuses.

Biden says he won't reveal the intel he relies on when he claims that there was a Hamas HQ underneath Shifa.

But a US official tells me that the "US intel" is simply based on what Israel has provided, i.e. ISRAELI intel.

This may be why a dissent cable accused Biden of… https://t.co/6pmdlsqpFA

— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) November 16, 2023

One official stated that the intelligence is definitive and includes intercepted communications of Hamas fighters, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this week, Israeli troops conducted an operation targeting Hamas militants, leading them to enter the Al Shifa hospital. Israeli officials allege that Hamas was responsible for a cross-border attack from Gaza that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. In response, Israeli forces engaged in aerial bombardments and a ground operation. When asked if Israel has shared any new intelligence since the raid on the hospital began, Kirby declined to provide specific details, stating, "That's really for them to speak to."

However, he reiterated that the U.S. is confident in its own intelligence assessment of how Hamas was using the hospital. According to Kirby, Hamas militants were using the hospital as a shield against military action, thereby endangering patients and medical staff. He stated that the U.S. has intelligence that substantiates Hamas's use of Al Shifa as a command and control node, and possibly as a storage facility. The U.S. remains convinced of the accuracy and reliability of this intelligence. While tensions in the region continue to escalate, with both sides claiming different narratives, the U.S. position remains firm in supporting its intelligence assessment regarding Hamas's activities at Al Shifa hospital. Withholding specific details and maintaining confidence in their assessment, the U.S. is prioritizing national security interests.