Hamas hostage Yehudit Weiss was ‘murdered by terrorists’, IDF claims

Hamas hostage Yehudit Weiss was ‘murdered by terrorists’, Israel’s Defence Forces have claimed – after her physique was recovered in a constructing close to Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital. 

Ms Weiss, 64, was taken captive by Hamas at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 throughout their killing spree. 

Her husband Shmulik Weiss was discovered murdered of their protected room.

Troops of the seventh Armored Brigade’s 603rd Battalion discovered the physique, together with Hamas army tools – together with assault rifles and RPGs in a constructing ‘adjoining to Shifa Hospital’, in accordance with the IDF.

The physique was introduced again to Israel for identification, after which the army and police notified Ms Weiss’s household of her demise.

Israeli officers say round 240 folks had been taken hostage throughout the Hamas assaults which killed some 1,200 folks, principally civilians. 

The IDF didn’t present additional particulars on Ms Weiss’s reason behind demise, or when she was killed. It is believed she was present process therapy for most cancers when she was seized by the terrorists.

‘The IDF sends its heartfelt condolences to the household,’ it mentioned in an announcement. ‘The nationwide mission… is to find the lacking and return the hostages residence.’

‘The IDF is working alongside and in full coordination with the related nationwide and safety establishments with a purpose to pursue these duties. We won’t stop from the mission till will probably be accomplished,’ the IDF added.

Israel’s Defence Forces prompt it might take ‘just a few weeks’ to uncover ‘the extent’ of Hamas’s command centre beneath Al-Shifa hospital, as a whole lot of commandos are looking by means of each constructing and flooring of the complicated.

The IDF says it has uncovered ‘new findings’ which point out ‘vital underground infrastructure within the hospitals’. But Israel’s military remains to be but to disclose proof of a tunnel community beneath Al-Shifa greater than 24 hours after its forces stormed the power.

Footage ‘regarding hostages seized by Hamas’ was discovered on computer systems on the hospital, the IDF has mentioned, in addition to a cache of weapons belonging to the terrorists. 

The United Nations is now desperately trying into the way it might evacuate the hospital, which is the most important within the Gaza Strip, however says its choices are restricted by safety and logistical constraints, a senior World Health Organization official mentioned. 

Meanwhile, Palestinian telecoms supplier Paltel mentioned an absence of gas means all communications companies are down throughout the besieged enclave, which has been topic to a blockade and relentless bombing marketing campaign by Israel for weeks.

With the operation in Al-Shifa nonetheless ongoing and no laborious proof shared proving the IDF’s accusation that there’s a Hamas management centre beneath it, an Israeli official in the present day mentioned that the mission ‘is formed by our understanding that there’s well-hidden terrorist infrastructure within the complicated.’

‘During the searches, info and photographs pertaining to the hostages kidnapped from Israel had been discovered on computer systems and different technological tools,’ an official additionally mentioned.

The IDF shared an image of a laptop computer it mentioned its forces discovered within the hospital displaying a publicly-available picture of rescued Israeli hostage Pvt. Ori Megidish, which was taken earlier than her abduction.

An official mentioned tools discovered within the hospital had been taken for ‘additional examination and investigation.’ 

IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht earlier claimed that ‘there’s substantial Hamas infrastructure within the neighborhood of the hospital’, however appeared to backtrack on Israel’s earlier insistence that Hamas’s headquarters are undoubtedly in tunnels beneath the hospital.

‘[Hamas infrastructure] is probably below the hospital, and it is one thing we’re engaged on. It’ll take us time. This conflict is a posh conflict,’ Hecht mentioned yesterday.

After storming the medical facility, the IDF shared proof of weaponry, with spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus displaying a duffel bag hidden behind a hospital MRI machine containing an AK47 assault rifle, grenades, ammunition and a uniform. The video failed to point out proof of any tunnels.

He additionally mentioned a backpack contained ‘what gave the impression to be essential intelligence together with a laptop computer’, and added that safety cameras in a single a part of the hospital had been taped over. 

Behind one other MRI machine extra weapons had been mentioned to have been discovered and in an adjoining room on high of one other MRI scanner was a bag containing ‘full army package for one terrorist, together with ammunition, a stay grenade and AK47 and physique armour’.

‘These weapons don’t have any enterprise being in a hospital,’ Conricus mentioned as he toured the hospital in a clip launched by the IDF. 

Inside a cupboard for medical tools was one other holder containing a knife, a Hamas emblem, AK47 and ammunition, in accordance with the spokesman.

But the IDF’s search confirmed no indicators of tunnels or a complicated command centre that many believed could be found beneath the power. 

News of the IDF hospital raid got here round 2am native time on Wednesday. 

Doctors mentioned they got half-hour’ discover of the Israeli operation earlier than at the least six battle tanks moved in on the complicated. Troops entered the hospital a short while afterwards.

Officials from Israel and Gaza introduced very completely different accounts of what was occurring within the hospital. 

The Israeli military launched video displaying troopers carrying containers labelled as ‘child meals’ and ‘medical provides,’ whereas well being officers talked of terrified workers and sufferers as troops moved by means of the buildings. 

‘We have found weapons and different issues. We entered the hospital on the premise of actionable intelligence,’ Mark Regev, an advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister mentioned.

Another senior Israeli authorities official, who declined to be named, mentioned: ‘IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troopers have already discovered weapons and different terror infrastructure. We noticed concrete proof that Hamas terrorists used the Shifa hospital as a terror headquarters.’

But the Palestinian Authority within the West Bank condemned the army operation as ‘a crime towards humanity’ and challenged Israel to supply proof of their claims.

The Israeli army mentioned it was finishing up a ‘exact and focused operation towards Hamas in a specified space within the hospital,’ and that its troopers had been accompanied by medical groups bringing in incubators and different provides.

It added that forces had been additionally trying to find hostages. 

In an announcement, the IDF mentioned: ‘As the troopers entered the hospital complicated, they engaged with numerous terrorists and killed them. 

‘Following this, throughout searches in one of many departments of the hospital, the troops situated a room with technological property, together with army and fight tools utilized by the Hamas terrorist group.

‘In one other division within the hospital, the troopers situated an operational command middle and technological property belonging to Hamas, indicating that the terrorist group makes use of the hospital for terrorist functions.

‘The technological property and in depth intelligence info situated was transferred for full evaluate by the related authorities.

‘The IDF is constant to function within the hospital complicated, whereas extracting intelligence info and stopping hurt to the medical groups and civilians sheltering there’. 

The army beforehand mentioned its forces have discovered weapons and Hamas fighters in authorities buildings, colleges and residential buildings. 

Hours earlier than the hospital raid, the United States mentioned its personal intelligence indicated militants have used Shifa and different hospitals, and tunnels beneath them, to assist army operations and maintain hostages.

Under worldwide humanitarian regulation, hospitals can lose their protected standing if combatants use them for army functions. 

But civilians have to be given time to depart, and any assault have to be proportional to the army goal. 

Speaking on CNN, IDF spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht mentioned hearth was exchanged earlier than Israeli troopers moved into the Al-Shifa however that there was ‘no engagement by any means’ as soon as that they had entered the medical complicated.

Israel has insisted for years that Hamas militants have used Al Shifa as a canopy for his or her operations. But Hamas and hospital workers have repeatedly denied this. 

One physician contained in the hospital, reached by the BBC, hit out: ‘Is everybody simply ready for us to die right here after which say ‘we had been good folks’?’

Plastic surgeon Dr Ahmed Mokhallalati claimed workers and sufferers had been fearful as IDF troops moved by means of the constructing. He revealed six untimely infants had died in latest days and mentioned round 40 others would die ‘one after the other’ as a result of an absence of oxygen and energy outages.

Essential surgical procedures had been carried out on Tuesday with solely gentle sedation, revealed the surgeon – however sufferers had been ‘screaming in ache’. No surgical procedure may very well be carried out yesterday, he mentioned.

One affected person with burns needed to be left to die as a result of an absence of medical tools, mentioned the physician. Asked if Israeli troops had introduced medical assist to the hospital, he mentioned: ‘If it was as much as me, I’d refuse [any aid]. They are killing us for 40 days they usually need to supply me saline drips.’

Dr Mokhallalati additionally insisted there have been solely civilians within the hospital and challenged the Israeli military to supply proof of Hamas’s presence. Israeli officers have beforehand prompt among the 240 hostages seized by Hamas after they went on a murderous rampage in Israel on October 7 may very well be held below Gazan hospitals.

One journalist contained in the hospital informed the BBC that IDF troopers fired into the air and used loudspeakers to order males aged between 16 and 40 to depart earlier than interrogating them. 

Munir al-Boursh, a senior official with Gaza’s Health Ministry contained in the hospital, mentioned troops ransacked the basement and different buildings, together with these with emergency and surgical procedure departments inside, and looked for tunnels. 

Patients, workers and folks sheltering within the facility had been questioned, he mentioned, including: ‘Patients, girls and kids are terrified’. 

At one level, tens of 1000’s of Palestinians had been sheltering on the hospital, however many have left in latest days. 

The raid drew condemnation from the UN, Jordan and the West Bank’s Palestinian Authority, which known as it a violation of worldwide regulation.

Martin Griffiths, the UN’s chief of humanitarian affairs, mentioned on X, previously Twitter: ‘I’m appalled by studies of army raids in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. The safety of newborns, sufferers, medical workers and all civilians should override all different issues. Hospitals should not battlegrounds.’

Israel has confronted mounting strain to show its declare that Hamas had turned the hospital right into a command centre in latest days. 

Hamas and Gaza well being officers have denied that militants function in Shifa, in accordance with the Palestinian information company. 

The conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7 after the militant group killed some 1,200 folks and seized round 240 captives. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have killed greater than 11,200 folks, in accordance with the Palestinian Health Minister in Ramallah. 

Another 2,700 have been reported lacking. 

Around two third of the territory’s 2.3 million folks have now fled their properties, with most at present residing within the southern a part of the coastal strip. 

Residents say bread is scarce and grocery store cabinets are naked, whereas households have been compelled to prepare dinner on wooden fires as a result of an absence of gas, electrical energy and operating water. 

On Wednesday, Israeli defence officers let in some 24,000 litres of gas, which can solely be used for the UN company for Palestinian refugees, generally known as UNRWA, in a bid to usher in the restricted provides of meals and drugs from Egypt.  

Thomas White, UNRWA’s director in Gaza, mentioned the gas can’t be used for hospitals or to desalinate water, including the quantity is the equal of ‘solely 9 per cent of what we’d like day by day to maintain lifesaving actions’. 

The Palestinian telecom firm Paltel has mentioned it’s counting on batteries to maintain Gaza’s cellular and web community operating.   

It comes as Israeli troops have prolonged their management throughout northern Gaza, having taken management of the Shati refugee camp. 

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned that the bottom operation will ultimately ’embody each the north and south’.

‘We will strike Hamas wherever it’s’, he mentioned.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the plans, saying Israel’s aim is ‘a whole victory over Hamas within the south and the return of our hostages.’

Israel informed residents of northern Gaza to evacuate south, saying it needed to get civilians out of the trail of its floor assault, and a whole lot of 1000’s fled. 

It comes after the UN Security Council permitted a decision calling for ‘pressing and prolonged humanitarian pauses and corridors all through the Gaza strip following 4 failed makes an attempt to answer the conflict.  

The decision, which was permitted by 12-0 with the US, UK and Russia abstaining, additionally known as for the ‘speedy and unconditional launch of all hostages held by Hamas and different teams’. 

It made no point out of a ceasefire, and didn’t seek advice from the October 7 assaults which sparked the battle, or Israel’s retaliatory air strikes. 

The decision introduced the 15 members of the UN’s strongest physique collectively in a primary response to the continued conflict.

It asks that ‘all events adjust to their obligations below worldwide regulation, notably with regard to the safety of civilians, particularly youngsters’. 

UN Security Council resolutions are legally binding, however in observe many events select to disregard the council’s requests for motion.