GAZA STRIP (Dispatches) -- A new investigation reveals that the Israeli military used fabricated 3D models, falsely depicting underground Hamas tunnels and headquarters, to justify attacks on civilian targets in Gaza, including the Al-Shifa hospital. 
Published on October 8, the probe was conducted by +972 Magazine, Local Call, Viewfinder, Swiss network SRF, and Scottish outlet The Ferret.
The journalists analyzed 43 Israeli military animations since October 7, uncovering serious spatial inaccuracies and prefabricated assets sourced from commercial libraries, content creators, and cultural institutions rather than classified intelligence. 
Interviews with Israeli soldiers involved in producing these videos revealed that animators often exaggerated details to emphasize supposed threats.
One notable example from October 2023 featured a 3D video claiming Hamas had built tunnels, bunkers, and a command room beneath Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest. 
Israeli officials, including prime minister Netanyahu’s advisor Mark Regev, asserted the video was based on “ironclad” intelligence. The video was widely shared on official Israeli social media and Western media, which uncritically repeated claims that Al-Shifa was a Hamas operations base—a claim later debunked.
The misinformation paved the way for Israel’s November 15, 2023 raid on Al-Shifa, where around 2,000 displaced civilians, patients, and medical staff were sheltering. The attack caused severe damage, including the destruction of the oxygen supply for premature babies, resulting in three infant deaths.
Further investigation revealed that similar fabricated models were used to accuse other sites, including a UNRWA school and hospitals like Kamal Adwan in northern Gaza. Israeli animations also included assets from video games and the Scottish Maritime Museum.
After two years of war, the World Health Organization reports that only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals can still provide essential services. Nearly 42,000 people have suffered life-altering injuries, and UN data indicates Israel has killed 1,722 health workers, averaging two per day.