IDF details Hamas command activity at Nasser Hospital
The IDF said Muhammad Abu Ismail, the Hamas Khan Younis Brigade commander targeted in an aerial strike at Nasser Hospital, was involved in holding hostages during the war, including inside the hospital where he was targeted.
Abu Ismail is a central figure in commanding and managing the brigade, particularly following the elimination of its commander, Muhammad Yazouri, in early September, according to the military.
The IDF said Hamas uses Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, as it does other hospitals across Gaza. It identified the hospital’s second floor as a military headquarters used by Hamas commanders, including Abu Ismail, with strict security and no civilian access.
The military also provided an illustration identifying the hospital and the second floor it said was used for terrorist activity.
Hostages held at the hospital during the war
According to the IDF, dozens of hostages were held captive at Nasser Hospital during the war, many from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, including women, children, elderly people and foreign nationals.
The military said Abu Ismail was responsible for holding numerous hostages, including Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, Edan Alexander, Avera Mengistu, Colonel Asaf Hamami, Staff Sergeant Oz Daniel and Captain Omer Neutra.
Additional Hamas terrorists struck in the compound
The IDF said the strike also hit Muared Tawfiq Mahmoud Abu Zarifa, a team leader in the engineering department of the Combat and Administrative Support Company, and Khaled Osama Abu Anza, head of the communications section in the Operations Department of Hamas’ intelligence headquarters.
According to the military, the terrorists operated from the hospital compound to advance dozens of attack plans against IDF soldiers and rebuild the Khan Younis Brigade’s military capabilities, which had been significantly degraded during the war. It said the aerial strike was intended to remove the threat they posed.
IDF says repeated warnings preceded the strike
The military said it had repeatedly warned and demanded that military activity at the hospital stop, including recently, but the activity continued.
The IDF said the strike specifically targeted the room where the brigade commander and the other terrorists were conducting military activities. It said precautionary measures were taken beforehand to minimize damage to the hospital building and harm to uninvolved civilians to the greatest extent possible.
The military said it operates in accordance with international law, strikes only military targets and respects the special protection afforded to medical facilities and personnel, which it does not target as such.
It added that security forces remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue operating to remove any threat.
Nahal Oz sirens determined to be a false identification
The IDF said sirens that sounded in the Nahal Oz area were determined to have resulted from a false identification.
