Israeli forces arrested over 100 suspected Hamas terrorists at a major hospital in southern Gaza, military officials said Saturday, as special forces continued to sweep the medical center.
The Israel Defense Forces troops stormed the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis Thursday, with the military saying it had “credible intelligence” that hostages had been held in the medical facility and that the remains of some who died may still be there.
During the raid, soldiers found mortar shells, grenades and other Hamas weaponry inside the hospital, along with medications labeled with hostages’ names, the IDF said on Telegram, adding that the terror group had previously used the medical facility as a launch pad to fire mortars.
An IDF commando brigade and other special forces are “continuing to conduct a precise and limited operation” against Hamas in the medical facility, IDF said.
Roughly 10,000 people were sheltering at Nasser Hospital earlier this week, but many fled in anticipation of the raid or following Israeli orders to evacuate, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said.
Beyond the hospital, Israeli forces raided several sites linked to terrorists in Khan Younis, uncovering weapons including AK-47 rifles and explosive devices.
Israeli troops also called in several airstrikes Saturday, including one that killed three terrorists heading to a rocket launch site in the southern Gazan city, the military said.
Since the outset of the war on Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 253 others, Israel has bombarded Gaza in an attempt to eliminate the terror group and secure the hostages’ freedom.
As of Saturday, 28,858 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, and another 68,667 wounded, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
In other developments:
- Israel killed a terrorist in the al-Furqan area of Gaza via airstrike just 30 minutes after the militant launched a series of rockets targeting Ashkelon, The Jerusalem Post reported.
- “Many” of the hostages Hamas kidnapped during its Oct. 7 attack have died, while those still alive are enduring “extremely difficult conditions,” claimed Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the terror group’s armed wing. Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said on Tuesday, 31 of the hostages still in Hamas’ captivity were believed dead.
- US forces carried out two strikes against a mobile anti-ship cruise missile and a drone boat launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
- Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there is “an extraordinary opportunity” for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors in the coming months, but also emphasized the need to establish a Palestinian state.
With Post wires
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Matthew Sedacca
