Hamas has denied the evidence provided by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that hostages are being held in a hospital building in Gaza. This statement was reported by Al Jazeera and cited by RIA Novosti.
Hamas stated that the claims made by the occupying forces are aimed at hiding their failures in terms of security and military actions.
The IDF published photos and videos on October 7th, showing armed individuals leading several people through the hospital corridors. Israel claims that among those under armed control were hostages from Nepal and Thailand.
Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas had promised to release 50 hostages in exchange for a five-day ceasefire.
The situation in the Middle East escalated after thousands of Hamas militants entered Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip on October 7th, when Hamas announced the start of the “Flood of Al-Aqsa” operation. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the country was in a state of war.
Israel’s “Operation Iron Swords” aimed to repel the attack, free over 200 hostages, including foreigners, and destroy Hamas. To achieve this goal, Israel carried out massive rocket attacks on the Gaza Strip from the first day of the operation. In addition, the Israeli National Security Council decided to halt water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel supplies to the sector. Humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza only resumed after October 20th through the Rafah Crossing, but their volume is considered insufficient.
On October 27th, Israel announced the “expansion” of its ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of this operation is unknown. However, prior to its commencement, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had already fled their homes and sought refuge in shelters or moved to the south of the enclave. On November 5th, as part of the ground operation, IDF forces surrounded the city of Gaza and cut off its supply routes. Fierce fighting is still ongoing in the center of Gaza.
Earlier, Israeli President Itzhak Herzog stated that the Hamas command center is located beneath the central hospital in the Gaza Strip.
