The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage of an interrogation with a Hamas operative detained at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, where the operative alleged that the terror group used the medical facility as a shelter and armory. Anas Mohammad Faiz a-Sharif, a janitor and member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, claimed in the video that Hamas operatives considered the hospital a “safe shelter” due to its protection from direct Israeli strikes. He stated that weapons, including grenades and mortars, were moved to and from the hospital, and operatives used it as a base for launching attacks on Israeli tanks and conducting surveillance.
The military operation in December saw the detention of over 240 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, some of whom reportedly disguised themselves as patients and medical staff to evade capture. Among the detainees was the hospital’s director, Hussam Abu Safiya, suspected of being a Hamas operative. The IDF coordinated the evacuation of 350 patients and medical personnel prior to the raid, and an additional 95 were moved to a nearby hospital during the operation.
The raid and its implications prompted a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, where several countries condemned the attack as a violation of international law, urging Israel to protect hospital infrastructure in Gaza. While international law prohibits targeting hospitals, they may lose this protection if used for military purposes. The IDF emphasized its focus on preventing Hamas from regrouping in northern Gaza, following the October 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel that resulted in significant casualties and the kidnapping of hostages.