The IDF on Thursday revealed additional details regarding the strike on Hamas terrorists operating from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, including the involvement of a senior Hamas commander in holding Israeli hostages captive during the war.
According to the military, Muhammad Abu Ismail, who was targeted in the strike, played a central role in commanding and managing Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade, particularly following the elimination of brigade commander Muhammad Yazouri in early September.
The IDF stated that Abu Ismail was responsible for holding numerous hostages captive throughout the war, including Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, Edan Alexander, Avera Mengistu, Col. Asaf Hamami, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, and Capt. Omer Neutra.
The military also revealed that Hamas used Nasser Hospital to hold dozens of hostages throughout the war, many of whom were abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Among those held at the hospital were women, children, elderly people, and foreign nationals.
According to the IDF, the second floor of Nasser Hospital serves as a military headquarters for Hamas, with access restricted to terrorist commanders and other authorized personnel. The area is heavily secured and closed to civilians.
In addition to Abu Ismail, the strike targeted other Hamas terrorists operating from the hospital compound, including 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.
The IDF said the terrorists had been operating from the hospital to advance dozens of planned attacks against Israeli soldiers and to rebuild the military capabilities of the Khan Yunis Brigade, which had been significantly weakened during the war.
According to the military, the aerial strike was carried out to eliminate the threat posed by the terrorists, with the attack specifically directed at the room from which they were conducting military activities.
The IDF emphasized that precautionary measures were taken before the strike to minimize damage to the hospital building and reduce the risk of harm to uninvolved civilians.
The military further stated that it had repeatedly warned against the use of the hospital for terrorist activity, including in recent warnings, and demanded that such activity cease. Despite those warnings, Hamas continued operating from the facility.
The IDF stressed that it operates in accordance with international law, targets military objectives only, and respects the special protections afforded to medical facilities and medical personnel.
The military added that Israeli security forces remain deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue operating to eliminate threats.