Israel Releases Security Footage Showing Hostages Taken to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza
Israel’s military has released security camera footage that it claims shows hostages being brought into Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 7. The hostages were allegedly kidnapped during Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel. Al-Shifa hospital has become a focal point for Israel’s subsequent military operations in the Gaza Strip, with the army accusing Hamas of using it as a base.
The first clip, which appears to be time-stamped 10:53 am on October 7, shows a man being dragged through an entrance hall by five armed men. In the second clip, seemingly time-stamped 10:55 am, an injured man is wheeled in on a gurney by seven armed men, as several individuals in hospital scrubs look on. The military spokesman described the two men as hostages from Nepal and Thailand, but their whereabouts remain unknown.
The CCTV footage is believed to have been shot on the morning that Hamas gunmen began storming southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of approximately 240 others. In response, Israel has launched relentless attacks on Gaza, causing significant casualties among the civilian population.
The Israeli military and intelligence services issued a statement claiming that the footage proves Hamas used the Shifa hospital complex as terrorist infrastructure during the massacre. However, Hamas dismissed the footage, stating that they had taken captives to the hospital for treatment, particularly those wounded in Israeli airstrikes.
In addition to the security footage, the Israeli army announced that troops had discovered a 55-meter-long terror tunnel underneath the Shifa hospital complex. The tunnel, which was 10 meters deep and ended at a blast door, ran directly under the hospital. This discovery further supports Israel’s claim that Hamas has been using the hospital as a base.
The military spokesman also provided more details about the death of 19-year-old soldier Noa Marciano, who was taken hostage. The army announced on Friday that her remains had been recovered in the area of Al-Shifa. Hamas claimed she was killed by an Israeli airstrike, but Israel denies this, stating that the militants murdered her. According to the spokesman, Marciano was being held by the militants very close to Al-Shifa hospital. During ongoing combat in the vicinity, her captor was killed, and she was injured. Her injuries were not life-threatening. Based on concrete intelligence, the spokesman stated that Hamas terrorists took Noa into Shifa hospital, where she was ultimately murdered. Her body was later found dumped outside the hospital on an orange stretcher.
The release of this security footage and the discovery of the terror tunnel further escalates tensions between Israel and Hamas. Israel continues to target Hamas infrastructure and military positions in response to ongoing attacks, while Hamas accuses Israel of committing war crimes and targeting civilians.
The use of hospitals as bases or command centers by militant groups is a violation of international law and puts innocent civilians at risk. The Israeli military’s release of this footage aims to provide evidence of Hamas’s misuse of Al-Shifa hospital, but the veracity of the footage has yet to be independently verified.
As the conflict continues, the international community calls for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations to achieve a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. The situation remains highly volatile, with both sides suffering significant casualties and civilian deaths.