Israeli troops captured about 100 suspected Hamas militants during a raid on Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, the army said on Monday.
Gaza health officials and Hamas have denied the presence of any militants at the hospital, which Israeli forces attacked on Friday and left on Saturday.
“Troops captured about 100 terrorists from the compound, including those who attempted to escape during the evacuation of civilians. Inside the hospital, they found weapons, terror funds and intelligence documents,” the army said.
Gaza’s health ministry said troops detained dozens of male medical staff and damaged the hospital, which was already struggling to function with heavy Israeli raids in the area.
“Some of the fully identified terrorists had disguised themselves as medical staff, so we had no option but to check the medical staff as well,” a military officer told reporters in an online briefing.
Footage broadcast by Gaza’s health ministry on Saturday – which Reuters could not immediately verify – showed damage to several buildings after Israeli forces withdrew.
The military official said the soldiers had caused limited damage to the hospital when they entered it and that the soldiers also had to destroy “dual-use” equipment such as oxygen tanks, which could harm anyone in the compound if they exploded.
Medical staff refused to evacuate the hospital or leave their patients unattended. Hundreds of displaced Palestinians were also taking shelter there.
Maysoon Elyan, a hospital nurse, said, “They took out all those who were sheltering here… They separated the men from the women and made two lines, it was very humiliating for our men because they let them out without The clothes were taken away and they had nothing to cover themselves.”
The military official said that the arrested Hamas suspects were stripped of their clothes to check their weapons. “After examining them, we provided them clothes,” he said.
Gaza medics said at least two children died inside an intensive care unit on Friday after a generator and oxygen station were hit by Israeli fire.
The army said civilians at the hospital were safe despite heavy fighting near the compound. It said fuel, medical equipment and blood units have been provided to the hospital and supply of electricity and oxygen has been ensured.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
