Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Israeli forces on Thursday raided the biggest hospital still functioning in southern Gaza in an effort to retrieve the bodies of hostages which may be in the complex, a military spokesperson said.
The operation at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis came after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attempted to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had sought refuge at the facility. Military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the raid was executed after Israel received “credible intelligence from a number of sources” that Hamas had held hostages at the hospital and that the remains of some captives could still be inside.
He added that IDF troops launched a “precise and limited operation” inside the hospital, claiming that “Hamas terrorists are likely hiding behind injured civilians inside Nasser hospital right now.” Hamas has denied the allegations. Sharon Alony Cunio, one of the 250 people abducted from Israel during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks, claimed after being released that she and other captives had been held in Nasser.