All week, pro-Hamas MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell had been using her eponymous show to falsely claim there was no evidence that Hamas was using Al Shifa Hospital to shield its headquarters. But after the U.S. confirmed it too had intelligence pointing to that fact, on Wednesday, she pivoted to arguing that there was still no reason for Israel to try to neutralize the base. And despite constantly demanding to see evidence to back up Israel’s claims, she parroted evidence-free and false claims from Hamas that Israel was slaughtering fleeing civilians.
Her lies came during an interview with Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Avi Mayer. She insisted that evidence of the terror base was only hours old. “The U.S. has now confirmed, as of last night, the Israeli intelligence about what's happening under the hospital,” she stated.
Despite finally admitting that Hamas was using the hospital and people inside as human shields, she pivoted to arguing that there was still no legitimate reason to carry out military operations there. She even spoke to the openly Jewish reporters as if he had a say in the planning of the operation:
But has also said in a statement today that there's nothing that justifies a firefight inside a hospital where there are innocent patients. And we don't know that that is taking place, but there is a great risk to the patients, to the civilians. To the children we've seen. You know, neonatal care interrupted, infants near death. So, what more can you do, just given the world reaction to this? You have to be concerned about the risks/benefits of every step you take.
“Absolutely, I think Israel does engage with tremendous care whenever it has to operate in areas in which civilians might be present,” Mayer began.
But as he was describing how Hamas embedded itself in other civilian centers and Israel had no choice but to engage them in those locations, Mitchell rudely interrupted her guest to falsely assert that Israel was not trying to give the civilians a way out and tried to pivot to talk about the hostages (Click “expand”):
MAYER: Now, that of course is much more difficult in a hospital. We know that virtually all the hospitals in Gaza are being used by Hamas for terror purposes. They have rocket launchers, underground bunkers, attack tunnels all in these hospitals and Israel has no choice but to operate in these places while, of course, it engages with as much care as possible–
MITCHELL (interrupting): Of course, people can't evacuate when they’ve been displaced, there's no place to go. That is another of the problems. And no place to get out because of the closure of the Gates.
MAYER: Well—
MITCHELL (interrupting): Do you know anything about a hostage deal? Do we know anything more about what were promising negotiations, we were told?
A generous interpretation of her comments might say she was speaking about border crossings. But that too would be a lie since Hamas and Egypt were the ones barring Gazan residents from leaving.
Mayer understood Mitchell was speaking about the fighting in the north and shot back with the fact that Israel had “opened up evacuation routes for Palestinian civilians.” But as he was noting Hamas had “fired on civilians trying to leave the conflict areas,” she interrupted him again, this time to air claims from the terror group that it was Israel killing civilians for fleeing.
“We've heard it both ways,” she asserted without evidence Israel was doing that. “But let me let you continue,” she ridiculously added like she was doing Mayer a favor.
As part of his final words to Mitchell, Mayer noted that Hamas was “committed” to carrying out a genocide against Jews. He also reiterated that Hamas “cynically and cruelly use the people of Gaza as a massive human shield is repulsive and should be repulsive, I think, to anyone who has a moral conscience and who views what happens there through that lens.”
As he was saying that, the camera cut to a wide shot that exposed the grimace on Mitchell’s face (pictured above).
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Report
November 15, 2023
12:06:33 p.m. EasternANDREA MITCHELL: What do you know, what else do you know from your reporters, or any other sources, about what is happening at the Al Shifa hospital?
AVI MAYER: Well, Andrea. As we know, Al Shifa Hospital has for years been used by Hamas as a command and control post. They have an underground bunker that they use to direct their terror activities around the Gaza Strip and into Israel. And so, the forces that are in Al Shifa are there to uncover that center, they've done so with tremendous care and compassion. They have given the hospital staff due warning that they were about to come in. They've been advancing very gradually in the complex. It's the largest hospital complex in Gaza. And they have, in fact, found weapons and other indications that, in fact, Hamas does have their headquarters in that complex.
MITCHELL: The U.S. has now confirmed, as of last night, the Israeli intelligence about what's happening under the hospital. But has also said in a statement today that there's nothing that justifies a firefight inside a hospital where there are innocent patients. And we don't know that that is taking place, but there is a great risk to the patients, to the civilians. To the children we've seen. You know, neonatal care interrupted, infants near death.
So, what more can you do, just given the world reaction to this? You have to be concerned about the risks/benefits of every step you take.
MAYER: Absolutely, I think Israel does engage with tremendous care whenever it has to operate in areas in which civilians might be present. It has given tremendous warnings to those sites, including hospitals, schools, and others in which Hamas has embedded itself, that they are coming, that they need to operate, and that civilians should evacuate.
Now, that of course is much more difficult in a hospital. We know that virtually all the hospitals in Gaza are being used by Hamas for terror purposes. They have rocket launchers, underground bunkers, attack tunnels all in these hospitals and Israel has no choice but to operate in these places while, of course, it engages with as much care as possible–
MITCHELL (interrupting): Of course, people can't evacuate when they’ve been displaced, there's no place to go. That is another of the problems. And no place to get out because of the closure of the Gates.
MAYER: Well—
MITCHELL (interrupting): Do you know anything about a hostage deal? Do we know anything more about what were promising negotiations, we were told?
MAYER: Well, to that first point, Israel has, in fact, opened up evacuation routes for Palestinian civilians. They have been prevented in many cases from escaping by Hamas itself, which has fired on civilians trying to leave the conflict areas. That, of course, is a double war crime. Hamas attacking Israeli civilians while endangering Palestinians ones as well—
MITCHELL (interrupting): We've heard it both ways. But let me let you continue.
MAYER: Sure. And I think that is reprehensible here. We know Hamas is a terrorist organization. We know that it is committed in word and deed to the destruction of Israel and the murder of all Jews. It says so very openly. It says that it will continue committing massacres like that, on October 7th, on and on, until Israel is destroyed.
And so, the fact, that it engages in that is no surprise, but the fact that they so cynically and cruelly use the people of Gaza as a massive human shield is repulsive and should be repulsive, I think, to anyone who has a moral conscience and who views what happens there through that lens.
As for the possibility of a hostage deal, we have heard those reports in recent days. We don't know exactly where they stand. There have been various indications that perhaps something could happen in the next few days. We've heard various reports that we're talking about 50 hostages or so who would be released within a matter of days in exchange for, perhaps, several days of a cease-fire. Israel has said repeatedly that it will not allow a cease-fire to take place because that will simply enable Hamas to regroup and continue its terror campaign.
So, we're certainly hopeful that hostages will be released as quickly as possible and we'll see what happens in the days ahead.
MITCHELL: Avi Mayer, thank you very much. Thanks for being with us. Safe travels.
MAYER: Thank you.
