Israel kills important Hamas commander who kept 1,000 Gazans hostage in hospital

Israeli forces claimed to have killed an important Hamas commander who was holding 1,000 Gazan hostages in a hospital and using them as humans shields. The development comes after Hamas' initial attack against the Jewish state on October 7.

The Telegraph reported that the Israel Defense Forces announced that Ahmed Siam, an important leader in Hamas' al-Furqan Brigade, had prevented civilians from getting out of the Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City earlier in the week. It comes after Israeli forces have urged civilians to get out of the area to avoid getting caught in the middle of the conflict.

Siam and several other Hamas terrorists were apparently killed after trying to hide in a school building in Gaza. The IDF collaborated with Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency to carry out the mission, according to the report.

The IDF said that "Ahmed Siam demonstrates once again that Hamas uses the civilians of the Gaza Strip as human shields for terror purposes." The operation came to a head after conflict erupted between Israel and Hamas around the largest hospital in Gaza.

Israeli forces have long claimed that Hamas' headquarters and control center are beneath the hospital, within a complex tunnel system that stretches for miles. The fighting took place as the hospital said that it had run out of fuel and electricity, unable to effectively take care of the patients inside.

Despite Israel's operational success, Hamas said that it had destroyed or partially destroyed more than 160 Israeli military targets on the Gaza Strip. However, Israel claimed that Hamas has lost control of northern Gaza, according to Reuters.

Members of the Israeli military are said to be helping evacuate babies trapped within the hospital, according to military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

"The staff of the Shifa hospital has requested that tomorrow we help the babies in the pediatric department to get to a safer hospital. We will provide the assistance needed," Hagari said.

Despite Israel's claims that Hamas operates from the tunnel system below the hospital, the terrorist group has denied this.

Medical staff at the hospital have said that patients could die if they are moved out of the hospital, and that Israeli fire could make it dangerous for patients to safely get out of the area.

"It's totally a war zone, it's a totally scary atmosphere here in the hospital," Ahmed al-Mokhallalati, a senior plastic surgeon at Al Shifa hospital, said. "It's continuous bombardment for more than 24 hours now."

Though most of the hospital staff have left the area, there are still 500 patients in the hospital, per the report.

"There are clashes between IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops and Hamas terrorist operatives around the hospital. There is no shooting at the hospital and there is no siege," Colonel Moshe Tetro, head of coordination and liaison at COGAT, said.

IDF kills Hamas commander Ahmed Siam, who held 1,000 Gazans, patients hostagewww.youtube.com

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