The IDF said Sunday that soldiers from the Givati Brigade spotted Hezbollah terrorists firing from the windows of a government hospital in Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon toward IDF positions. The troops moved in to eliminate the terrorists, then used precision targeting to eliminate 20 others in the hospital compound.

The brigade had observed terrorist activity in the hospital over the course of the past week.

During the operation within the hospital, the soldiers uncovered a massive cache of weapons, highlighting yet again the terror organization’s exploitation of the civilian population as a cover for its illegal activities, a strategy that imperils the lives of civilians and violates international law, the IDF said.

The IDF said that Hezbollah used the hospital compound not only to store and transfer weapons, but also as shelter for its operatives, observation posts and hiding spots. The military said that Hezbollah’s pattern of using medical facilities and ambulances for military operations puts civilians in harm’s way.

The IDF also shared that before the operation, it had repeatedly warned government authorities that all military activity taking place within medical facilities must cease immediately. The military said it had disseminated these warnings through multiple channels, but the warnings fell on deaf ears, as Hezbollah continued operating in these facilities.

The IDF issued a blistering condemnation of Hezbollah’s exploitation of the civilian population.

“The IDF views with severity the cynical use by the Hezbollah terrorist organization of civilian infrastructure, including medical institutions, for military purposes, placing patients, medical staff, and civilians at risk, in violation of international law,” the military said in a statement.