Israeli special forces have infiltrated the main hospital in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis amid claims that Hamas is holding hostages there.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that special forces were working at Nasser Hospital and said that “several suspects have been detained”.
The Gaza Health Authority said patients and medical staff are being evacuated from the hospital, where many displaced civilians have fled, after strikes this morning killed one patient and wounded six.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s chief spokesman, said Israeli special forces were conducting a “precise and limited operation”. He claimed:
We have credible intelligence from a number of including from released hostages indicating that Hamas sources held hostages at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, and that there may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser Hospital facility.
However, a spokesperson for Hamas called the Israeli comments “lies”.
The IDF noted:
On Tuesday, the IDF officially contacted the Director of the Nasser Medical Centre, calling for the immediate cessation of all Hamas terrorist activity from within the hospital and the immediate evacuation of all Hamas terrorists from within. The operational activity is continuing.
The UN humanitarian office said on Wednesday that Israeli troops were besieging Nasser Hospital and firing sniper fire at it. Under international humanitarian law, hospitals and medical patients must be protected.
Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals, ambulances, mosques, schools and other civilian buildings in Gaza to harbour militants, store weapons and equipment and take hostages.
Rear Admiral Hagari added in a statement today:
Over 85 per cent of major medial facilities have been used by Hamas for terror operations because Hamas terrorists are likely hiding behind injured civilians inside Nasser Hospital right now, and appear to have used the hospital to hide our hostages there.
Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for Gaza’s health ministry, said Israel launched a “massive incursion” into Nasser Hospital with heavy gunfire that left many injured. He said the military ordered medics to move all patients to an old building that was not properly equipped for treatment.
The raid comes as thousands of displaced civilians in the southern border town of Rafah prepare for an upcoming offensive that Israel says is aimed at wiping out remaining Hamas militants.
The war began on 7 October when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. More than 100 of the hostages were freed during a ceasefire last year in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel responded to the attack by launching one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history. Over 28,000 Palestinians have been killed, 80% of the population have fled their homes and a quarter are starving amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Large areas in northern Gaza, the first target of the offensive, have been completely destroyed.
