Palestinian group Hamas refuted Israel’s assertion on Sunday that they were using Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza to detain prisoners, labeling the claim as "misleading and false."
"The occupation army’s statements about using Al-Shifa Hospital to detain Zionist prisoners are misleading and false to cover up its security and military failure," the group said.
The group went on to say that the Israeli army "continues its campaign of lies and misinformation in its talk about Zionist prisoners who were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital and claims that the body of a female soldier that it claims was killed was found in the hospital."
On Sunday, Israeli government spokesperson Ofir Gendelman published videos on the X platform in which he indicated that Hamas had taken hostages at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza following the attack of Oct. 7.
Gendelman pointed out that one of the prisoners was injured and lying on a hospital bed, and the other was taken away while walking. One of the two prisoners was a Thai citizen and the other was a Nepalese citizen.
Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed in a news conference on Sunday that Hamas fighters killed female soldier Noa Marciano inside Al-Shifa Hospital.
Hamas said that its military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, clearly confirmed that: "The health condition of injured Zionist prisoners was monitored and treated in hospitals and then they were returned to their places of detention. Therefore, there is nothing new in what the Zionist military spokesperson said. Except for an attempt to cover up their lies and their claim that Hamas has used Al-Shifa Hospital as a military headquarters for command and control."
On Saturday, the government media office in the Gaza Strip said the Israeli army forcibly evacuated about 500 patients from Al-Shifa Hospital in the west of Gaza City, including those who had been injured by its extensive onslaughts and left them to meet their fate on the streets as they were in serious conditions and needed extensive medical care.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army stormed the Al-Shifa complex after besieging it for days, as it contains civilians who were displaced from their homes as a result of the ongoing Israeli bombing in the area.
Since Israel started bombarding Gaza on Oct. 7, at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 9,000 women and children and more than 30,000 others have been injured, according to the latest figures.
Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.
An Israeli blockade has also cut Gaza off from fuel, electricity and water supplies and reduced aid deliveries to a small trickle.
The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.