Israel Strikes Hamas Commander at Gaza Hospital, Cites Hostage Detention
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
The Israeli military conducted an airstrike at Gaza's Nasser Hospital targeting Hamas commander Muhammad Abu Ismail, who they say held Israeli hostages there. The IDF and Shin Bet claim Hamas used the hospital as a military command center. The strike reportedly killed six people and injured 28, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, while Hamas called it a "war crime."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas commander Muhammad Abu Ismail at Gaza's Nasser Hospital.
- Israel claims Abu Ismail held numerous Israeli hostages within the hospital facility.
- The IDF alleges Hamas used Nasser Hospital as a military command center.
- The strike resulted in six deaths and 28 injuries, per Gaza's Health Ministry.
- Hamas condemned the operation as a "war crime."
The Israeli military revealed on Thursday that Muhammad Abu Ismail, a Hamas commander in Khan Younis, targeted in an overnight airstrike at Nasser Hospital, was responsible for holding numerous Israeli hostages, including within the medical facility. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet stated that Abu Ismail oversaw the captivity of several hostages during the war, while Hamas allegedly used the hospital as a military command center.
The fate of Abu Ismail remains uncertain as security forces assess the operation's outcome. According to the IDF, dozens of hostages were held at Nasser Hospital during the conflict, including residents of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, comprising women, children, the elderly, and foreign nationals. The military claims Abu Ismail was personally responsible for the detention of captives such as soldiers Nimrod Cohen and Edan Alexander, as well as Matan Zangauker and Avera Mengistu. He was also reportedly tasked with holding the bodies of fallen soldiers Colonel Assaf Hamami, Master Sergeant Oz Daniel, and Captain Omer Neutra. Former hostages have corroborated being held at the hospital.
Abu Ismail assumed leadership of the Hamas brigade in Khan Younis after his predecessor was eliminated in September. The IDF asserts that the second floor of Nasser Hospital served as Hamas's military headquarters, heavily guarded and off-limits to civilians. Commanders, including Abu Ismail, allegedly planned attacks against Israeli forces and worked to rebuild the brigade's operational capabilities from this location.
The Israeli strike also targeted other Hamas operatives, including Muawad Tawfiq Mahmoud Abu Zarifa, commander of an engineering unit, and Khaled Osama Abu Anza, responsible for communications in the organization's intelligence department. The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reported six fatalities and at least 28 injuries from the strike. Hamas condemned the operation as a "war crime."
The IDF and Shin Bet accuse Hamas of transforming Nasser Hospital into military infrastructure, including storing weapons, establishing command centers, and using facilities as observation posts. The military also alleges that interrogations and torture occurred there. Israeli authorities stated that precision munitions and aerial surveillance were used to minimize civilian casualties.
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