IDF discovers medicine intended for Israeli hostages, captures hundreds of terrorists at Nasser Hospital

IDF troops operating in and around Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis found boxes of medicine intended for Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces stated on Sunday.

The boxes of medication were found with the names of Israeli hostages written on them. The packages were closed and had apparently not been transferred to the hostages, as was agreed upon in the successfully brokered deal negotiated by Qatar last month.

The commander of the Egoz unit, Lt.-Col. M. said that upon arriving at the Nasser hospital compound, “We found enemies, as well as ammunition and medicine for the hostages here – which did not reach them, and remained here completely packed.”

The large-scale operation at the Nasser Hospital has been going on since last Thursday, after the IDF received “credible intelligence” that Hamas was holding hostages at the medical facility.

Before entering the complex, Israeli forces fought intense, face-to-face battles, encountering Hamas fortifications, and rocket fire from within the hospital.

Once inside the complex, IDF soldiers found many weapons, including some that were hidden in a vehicle used by Hamas terrorists to carry out the Oct. 7 attack. A stolen vehicle belonging to Kibbutz Nir Oz was also found near the hospital.

So far, hundreds of terrorists and other terror suspects hiding in the hospital complex have been apprehended.

On Saturday, the IDF stated that its forces from the Commando Brigade, the Shayetet 13 Naval Commandos, and special units of the 98th Division, had already arrested about 100 terrorists during the operation.

Among them are terrorists who participated in the massacre on Oct. 7 or were directly tied to the kidnapping of Israeli hostages, and senior operatives in the terrorist organization Hamas.

The Israeli army said it “continues to invest all operational and intelligence efforts to return the abductees, and will not let up until the mission is completed.”

Before the operation began, the IDF transferred medical supplies, oxygen tanks, and fuel for electricity to the hospital to ensure its basic functions could continue. The soldiers also opened a humanitarian corridor to enable people to leave the hospital area.

“We have doctors and Arabic-speaking IDF officers on the ground to communicate to the staff and patients inside the Nasser Hospital. Our message to them is clear: We seek no harm to innocent civilians. We seek to find our hostages and bring them home,” said IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari.

“The Commando Brigade and the Shayetet 13 Unit raided the Nasser Hospital compound together. The hospital, which was supposed to be used as a humanitarian shelter, turned out to be a combat zone full of weapons, communication infrastructure and Hamas operatives,” said Shayetet 13 platoon commander, Lt.-Col. A.

“During surgical and precise fighting, many Hamas terrorists were arrested. The IDF will continue as long as it takes to defeat the terrorist organization Hamas and bring about its destruction,” Hagari added.