Arrest of 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members at 'Kamal Adwan' Hospital in Gaza

On Saturday, January 8, the Israeli army announced in a statement that during a special operation at a Hamas command center located in the 'Kamal Adwan' hospital in the Gaza Strip, more than 240 members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, two groups supported by the Islamic Republic, and other suspects involved in terrorist activities were arrested. According to the Israeli army's statement, some of them pretended to be ill or attempted to escape from the hospital using an ambulance. The statement further adds that about 15 militants who had entered Israel during the terrorist attack on October 7 of last year, as well as engineering operatives and anti-tank missile personnel from Hamas, were among those arrested. Additionally, the director of the 'Kamal Adwan' hospital, suspected of being a member of the terrorist group Hamas, has been detained for questioning by Israeli forces. The Israeli army also released images of some munitions seized inside the hospital, including grenades, rifles, and other military equipment. Over the years, especially since the October 7 terrorist attack, Israel and Western countries have repeatedly criticized Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups for exploiting military infrastructure for military purposes and have called on these groups to end the practice of using Palestinian civilians as 'human shields.' Despite abundant evidence and documentation, Hamas and other Palestinian militants deny using civilian infrastructure for military purposes. During the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and over 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly, were taken hostage. In response to this terrorist attack, Israel launched an offensive against Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas and freeing the kidnapped hostages. Nearly 15 months into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, most military and political commanders of this group supported by the Islamic Republic have been killed. Nearly 100 of the kidnapped hostages remain in captivity by Palestinian militants, and it is speculated that dozens of them have lost their lives. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Israel, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. Concerns from the World Health Organization about the collapse of the healthcare system in northern Gaza. Criticism from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office of the negotiating team: 'Do not play on Hamas's field.' Israel: Hamas creates 'new obstacles' to the freedom of hostages. Israeli army: Our operations in Gaza likely caused Hamas to kill 6 hostages. The Israeli Prime Minister announced progress in negotiations for the release of hostages.