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Clothes, temporary toilet: Israel ‘proves’ Hamas held hostages at Gaza hospital
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said troops "found signs that indicate that Hamas held hostages" in the basement of Al-Rantisi children's hospital.
Israel's army showed a discarded baby bottle, makeshift toilet and bullet-scarred motorbike as evidence that Hamas held hostages in a Gaza hospital. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said troops "found signs that indicate that Hamas held hostages" in the basement of Al-Rantisi children's hospital in Gaza City while Hamas denied using hospitals as hideouts. Some 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas who surged through the Gaza border on October 7 and killed 1,200 people- mostly civilians- according to Israel.
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Daniel Hagari did not say how many hostages the army believes were held at the hospital in the north of the besieged Gaza Strip. In the video recorded on site, he walked through various scenes alleging they “indicate that Hamas held hostages here” and said a bullet-marked motorbike used to transport hostages was in the basement with a chair and rope near the legs. Discarded women's clothing were also shown in an improvised toilet.
"You don't need to build something improvisedly in a hospital, in the basement, unless you want to hold someone in the basement and you don't want anyone to see him," Daniel Hagari said, adding, “I also want you to look at this room. People are putting curtains with nothing behind, just wall. No reason to put here a curtain unless you want to film hostages.”
Showing a list posted on the wall, the Israeli army chief said that it was a rota for Hamas terrorists guarding the hostages. However when the camera zooms in, it shows a tally of dates since October 7 with no names written, news agency AFP reported.
A weapons cache was also found at the hospital, according to the Israeli army as Tel Aviv confirmed the death of woman soldier Noa Marciano who had been "abducted by a terror organisation". Hamas earlier said she had been killed in an Israeli bombardment but the army did not say how she died.
