In 1971, London newspapers reported a shootout between a Palestinian militant who hid under the bed in the nurses’ quarters and an Israeli army patrol that searched the hospital.
The New York Times reported in 1987 a confrontation when several hundred Palestinians, outside the hospital, threw stones at Israeli soldiers while shouting, “Come and kill us all or get out!” The act took place during the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation.
During the 1980s, the hospital complex was renovated and redesigned by Israeli architectsaccording to local reports.
Zvi Elhyani, founder of the Israel Architectural Archive, wrote on Ynet on November 9: “With American assistance, Israel embarked on a project to renovate and expand the hospital complex. This venture also involved the installation of an underground floor.”
“In a twist, the underground area was appropriated in recent years by Hamas”he wrote without providing proof of the claim.
In 1994, Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Fatah security forces, saluted the Palestinian flag when it was raised over the hospitalafter the Palestinians gained limited autonomy in Gaza during the Oslo peace process.
