Eurasia Press & News
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Israeli soldiers detained hundreds of terror operatives, some dressed up as hospital staff, at the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on February 18. Dozens of terrorists likewise surrendered to the IDF at the Amal hospital in Khan Younis, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. Hamas has systematically exploited hospitals in Gaza, using them to shield terrorist activities such as tunnels, and also moving hostages to them in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel. Israeli intelligence estimates concluded that Hamas has used 85 percent of medical facilities in Gaza.
Expert Analysis
“Hamas has used hospitals in Gaza as cover for its terrorist activities for many years. In the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel, Hamas moved hostages to some hospitals, and its members have operated from the hospitals and in tunnels underneath them. In Khan Younis, hundreds of men linked to Hamas were found in the Nasser hospital, revealing the extent to which Hamas has illegally used medical facilities as a shield.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow
“Hamas fighters are finding it difficult to evade the Israeli military, as seeking refuge in hospitals and among the civilian population only prolongs their ultimate capture. Hamas and members of other Palestinian terrorist groups will likely persist with this tactic in Rafah and leverage the dense population of the city to engage in military operations against Israel.” —Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal
Undelivered Medicine for Hostages Found at Hospital
At the Nasser Hospital, the IDF found medication that was supposed to be provided to hostages as part of a deal brokered by France and Qatar in January. The boxes of the medicine were closed and had the hostages’ names on them, indicating they were never delivered. France said on February 6 that it was seeking proof that the medicine had been delivered to the hostages.
Weapons, Vehicles Linked to Terrorism Found at Hospital
IDF soldiers operating at Nasser Hospital uncovered “vehicles used by Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught, as well as Israeli-owned cars stolen during the massacre,” The Times of Israel reported. The investigation at the hospital also uncovered weapons and a vehicle stolen from the Israeli community of Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. In December, the IDF found a vehicle at the Indonesian Hospital that Hamas used to kidnap a hostage.
