Israel’s army claimed on Thursday that captives’ remains might be held at a hospital in southern Gaza, after troops entered the institution, which medics say has been “besieged” for a month.
The army stated that troops were engaging in a “precise and limited operation” inside Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis city, following severe combat between troops and Hamas terrorists around the facility.
“We have credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis and that there may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser hospital facility,” the Pentagon stated in a statement.
The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza has reported that thousands of people seeking refuge at the hospital, including patients, had been forced to leave in recent days.
A nurse informed AFP about fatal sniper fire, sewage in the emergency room, and a scarcity of drinking water.
Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip have routinely targeted hospitals, claiming they are being utilized as command centers by Hamas terrorists. Hamas disputes these charges.
On Thursday, the army stated, citing intelligence estimates and ground reports, that “over 85 percent of major medical facilities in Gaza have been used by Hamas for terror operations.”
‘Critical’ facility
The World Health Organization has identified Nasser Hospital as a key institution “for all of Gaza,” since only a small number of facilities are even partially operating.
On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed “alarm” about reports from Nasser Hospital, which he described as the “backbone of the health system in southern Gaza.”
Tedros posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the agency was refused entry to the facility in recent days and had lost contact with its workforce.
The situation at Nasser has been described as “catastrophic” by Gaza’s health ministry, with staff unable to transport dead to the morgue due to safety concerns.
According to the army, its “mission is to ensure that the Nasser hospital continues its important function of treating Gazan patients” .
On October 7, Hamas launched an unprecedented strike in Israel, killing around 1,160 persons, the majority of whom were civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official data.
Palestinian extremists also held approximately 250 individuals prisoner. According to Israeli sources, over 130 of them are still held captive in Gaza, with 29 presumed to be dead.
Earlier this week, Israeli soldiers rescued two hostages from Rafah, a southern Gaza city, following an explosion that killed over 100 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 28,663 individuals have been murdered since the war began, the majority of whom are women, children, and teenagers.