Efforts Are Underway to Rescue the Bodies of Hostages From Nasser Hospital

Operational update by IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on the IDF efforts to find and return the bodies of hostages and the precise and limited mission underway in Nasser Hospital:

Readout of IDF Spokesperson RDML Daniel Hagari's Statement:

“Since the Hamas massacre of October 7th, the IDF has been operating to fulfill its mission of dismantling Hamas and bringing our hostages home.

We operate against Hamas terrorists wherever they are hiding. And, as we proved with the successful rescue missions of our hostages, we are committed to our mission of bringing our hostages home.

Sadly, we know that some hostages are no longer alive. We are committed to finding and returning the bodies of those hostages in Gaza.

We conduct precise rescue operations — as we have in the past — where our intelligence indicates that the bodies of hostages may be held.

We have credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis and that there may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser hospital facility.

As was proven with the Shifa Hospital; Rantisi Hospital; Al Amal Hospital; and many other hospitals across Gaza, Hamas systematically uses hospitals as terror hubs.

According to intelligence assessments and information we gathered on the ground, over 85% of major medical facilities in Gaza have been used by Hamas for terror operations.

Because Hamas terrorists are likely hiding behind injured civilians inside Nasser hospital right now and appear to have used the hospital to hide our hostages there too, the IDF is conducting a precise and limited operation inside Nasser hospital.

This sensitive operation was prepared with precision and is being conducted by IDF special forces who underwent specified training.

A key objective as defined by our military mission is to ensure that the Nasser hospital continues its important function of treating Gazan patients. We communicated this in a number of conversations we had with the hospital staff over the last few days. We emphasized that there is no obligation for patients or staff to evacuate the hospital. However, we have been urging other Gazans, in Arabic, on the phone and via loudspeakers, to move away from the danger that Hamas puts them in — via a humanitarian corridor we opened for this purpose. For the purpose of protecting uninvolved civilians in Gaza.

We coordinated the transfer of medical supplies and equipment to Nasser hospital. We sent oxygen tanks and fuel for electricity at the request of the hospital to ensure its essential functions continue uninterrupted. This was done in coordination with international organizations.

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. We seek to hunt down Hamas terrorists wherever they may be hiding.