Israel Raids Gaza Hospital, Arrests Over 240 Hamas Suspects
Jakarta – Israeli military forces conducted a raid on Al-Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, with Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesperson, stating that a significant amount of explosives were found in the vicinity. "We didn’t expect to find a weapons cache with thousands of weapons," Shoshani told AFP on Sunday (29/12/2024). "The target wasn’t like that. This was a command and control center that we understand was intended for dozens or even hundreds of terrorists."
In the operation, Israeli forces detained 240 suspected Hamas terrorists, including Hossam Abu Safiyeh, the director of the hospital, who is also suspected of being a Hamas member. Shoshani confirmed the arrests, stating that some suspects were disguised as patients or attempted to flee using ambulances.
Among those arrested were also technical staff and anti-tank missile operators from Hamas, as well as around 15 terrorists who infiltrated into Israel during the October 7th attacks. Shoshani confirmed these arrests, stating that some suspects confessed while others were identified through cross-referencing intelligence.
Before the raid, Israeli forces reportedly assisted in evacuating 350 patients, medical staff, and personnel from the hospital. During the operation, an additional 95 patients, medical staff, and personnel were evacuated to Indonesia Hospital in coordination with local health officials. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the hospital was now empty and expressed shock at the raid, which was the latest against a healthcare facility during the conflict.
(dek/dek)
