Palestinian health officials and the Israeli army reported today, Saturday, that "Israeli forces carried out arrests at Gaza's largest operational hospital, coinciding with airstrikes on the sector while displaced persons in Rafah face cold weather with rainfall." Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for the Health Ministry in Gaza, stated: "The Israeli occupation forces are arresting a large number of medical staff from within the Nasser Medical Complex, which has been turned into a military outpost."
The Israeli army noted that it is tracking militants inside Nasser Hospital and has so far detained 100 suspects from the building, killed militants nearby, and found weapons inside. Over half of the 2.3 million residents of the sector have sought refuge in the city of Rafah.
Israeli forces raided Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday as part of their ongoing war against the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which governs Gaza. Hamas denies allegations that its fighters use medical facilities for protection. At least two of the released Israeli hostages stated that they had been held at Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli raid on the hospital raised concerns about the patients, medical staff, and displaced Palestinians sheltering there. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that "about 10,000 people tried to seek shelter in the hospital over the past few days, but many of them left either anticipating the Israeli raid or due to Israeli evacuation orders."
In Rafah, the winter cold has exacerbated already harsh conditions, as winds have toppled some of the displaced persons' tents and rain has flooded several others. Israeli plans to penetrate Rafah have sparked international concern that such actions could severely worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Hamas stated in a statement that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, blamed Israel for the lack of progress toward a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Haniyeh added that Hamas "will not settle for less than a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the sector, and lifting the unjust blockade," as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences in Israeli jails.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to achieve "complete victory" over Hamas, but he added that "flexibility in the movement's position could advance negotiations leading to an agreement for the release of hostages."
The Israeli air and ground assault has caused widespread destruction in Gaza and forced nearly all residents to leave their homes. Palestinian health authorities report that 28,858 people, mostly civilians, have been killed. The war began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on October 7, leading to the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of 253 hostages, according to Israel.
Palestinian health officials stated: "At least 83 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza since yesterday, Friday, including one today, Saturday, in Rafah, which is on the border with Egypt and which Israel claims is Hamas's last stronghold."
