Israel posts footage of foreign hostages at Gaza's main hospital
What's the story
Israel has once again upped its claims of Palestinian terror group Hamas using Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital as its base, claiming a captive soldier was executed and two foreign hostages were held at the facility. In a video post on X (formerly Twitter), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) alleged that a Nepalese civilian and a Thai national were abducted from Israel during the October 7 attack by Hamas and taken to al-Shifa Hospital.
Context
Why does this story matter?
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 1,200 individuals and taking 240 hostages, triggering the ongoing conflict in Hamas-controlled Gaza. The Jewish nation has since been carrying out retaliatory strikes in Gaza, which has reportedly left over 12,300 Palestinians dead. Notably, Israel has also been targeting hospitals in Gaza, particularly al-Shifa Hospital, claiming it houses the command center of the terrorist group.
Details
Hamas terrorists used al-Shifa as 'terrorist infrastructure': IDF
In its X post, the IDF shared CCTV footage from al-Shifa Hospital on Monday, stating, "One of the (foreign) hostages is injured and is being carried on a hospital bed, and the other is walking." Furthermore, the Israeli army also asserted that the surveillance camera footage proved that the Hamas terrorists used the biggest hospital in Gaza as "terrorist infrastructure."
Twitter Post
Check out IDF's post on X
These findings prove that the Hamas terrorist organization used the Shifa Hospital complex on the day of the October 7 Massacre as terrorist infrastructure. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/2UzlpKrNnv
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 19, 2023
What Next?
IDF unravels 55-meter-long tunnel under al-Shifa
In a previous video post, the IDF also claimed its forces unraveled a 55-meter-long tunnel that was 10 meters underneath the al-Shifa Hospital complex during an "intelligence-based operation." Moreover, the IDF asserted the tunnel served as clear proof of Israel's previous claim that Hamas has been using Gaza residents and patients of the facility as "human shields."
Twitter Post
Visuals of 55-meter-long tunnel under al-Shifa
OPERATIONAL UPDATE: IDF and ISA forces revealed a significant 55-meter-long terrorist tunnel, 10 meters underneath the Shifa Hospital complex during an intelligence-based operation.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 19, 2023
The tunnel entrance contains various defense mechanisms, such as a blast-proof door and a firing… pic.twitter.com/tU4J6BD4ZG
Know more
IDF discovered more Hamas tunnels at Gaza hospitals last week
This is not the first time the IDF has found tunnels underneath Gaza's biggest hospital. On Friday, the Israeli army said that it found Hamas exploiting three of the largest hospitals in the strip. While it reportedly uncovered Hamas terror tunnels inside the al-Shifa and Rantisi Hospital complex, the IDF also found a large number of ammunition and weaponry inside the al-Quds Hospital.