Illustrative image (The Israeli Defense Forces)
On February 15, Israeli troops raided the besieged Nasser medical complex in the city of Khan Younis, the main hospital in the southern Gaza Strip.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said that there was “credible intelligence” that Hamas held hostages at the hospital, and there may be bodies of hostages currently hidden there. The spokesman went on to describe the IDF attack on the hospital as a “precise and limited” military operation.
“We conduct precise rescue operations — as we have in the past — where our intelligence indicates that the bodies of hostages may be held,” Hagari said in an English-language video statement.
He added that the IDF has “credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and that there may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser hospital facility.”
“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 too, the IDF is conducting a precise and limited operation inside Nasser Hospital,” Hagari said. “This sensitive operation was prepared with precision and is being conducted by IDF special forces who underwent specified training.”
The IDF in a separate statement says that it has so far detained several suspects at Nasser Hospital. It also added that troops were looking for Hamas fighters at the hospital, including those who participated in the October 7 attack.
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, said earlier: “The Israeli occupation storms the Nasser Medical Complex and turns it into a military barracks after demolishing the southern wall and entering from it.” Israeli military bulldozers are digging up the mass graves that had been dug inside the complex walls, al-Qidra added.
A spokesperson for Hamas called Israel’s claims that the group is using Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to hide captives and as a base for fighting “lies”, according to Reuters.
Hamas said later in a statement that the storming of the hospital was “a continuation of the war of extermination” launched by Israel.
“The occupation continues to challenge international laws that see hospitals as protected places,” the group said. “The whole world is watching without taking any serious and effective action to stop it, despite all calls and appeals.”
Israel’s actions “will not succeed in breaking the will of our Palestinian people”, it said, adding that it will carry on its resistance until “the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.
The health ministry in Gaza said that more than 28,600 people, mainly women and children – have been killed in the Israeli war on the Strip, so far. Israel says its aim is to destroy Hamas and secure the return of the hostages.
The IDF has bombarded and stormed several hospitals in Gaza since the outbreak of the war, causing hundreds of casualties. In most cases, Israel claimed that some of the Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attack were being held there by Hamas.
“idf” needs to be rebranded to “ihdgf” – israeli hospital destruction and genocide forces.