The IDF spokesperson said on Thursday that senior members of the Hamas terror group have been apprehended during the military operation in the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza. He said terrorists had barricaded themselves in the hospital's emergency room and were given the option of surrendering to the troops or being killed.
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The operation began on in the early hours of Monday and has been continuing since. In a briefing Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said some 600 terrorists have been apprehended thus far, and more than 140 terrorists were killed. He said the forces have found weapons in the medical facility as well as intelligence material.
"This is the largest concentration of terrorists we have captured since the start of the war," Hagai said. "The terrorists from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are surrendering and providing valuable intelligence during their interrogations. "We've captured the senior commanders of the PIJ, dealing the terror faction a serious blow," he said adding the there were still gunfights taking place.
The spokesperson said troops entered the Qatari building in the compound, where the IDF had operated earlier in the war.
"This time terrorists were hiding there, and many were killed. Among those who surrendered were people in senior positions whose identity cannot yet be revealed because of the valuable intelligence they are providing. The leaders of Hamas understand well the outcome of this operation, the fatalities and the terrorists captured. The pressure on them will increase," he said.
Haragi said there were some 220 patients in the facility who were being moved away from the fighting. "We are setting up the infrastructure they need including medical equipment so that the doctors and patients remain safe. But the fighting will continue and those who do not surrender, we will fight against and kill."
Military officials said Hamas did not believe the IDF would assault the hospital without prior warning as it had done earlier in the war. Hamas believed that the international pressure put on Israel would not allow it to take action against the Al Shifa and especially not during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. That is why, the officials said, so many of its fighters and so much of its weapons and intelligence was at the facility.
Some of those who were captured, or who surrendered to the troops, had taken part in the October 7 massacre. Troops also apprehended senior Hamas operatives who were responsible for directing terror attack on the West Bank.