2h ago / 5:35 PM PST
IDF says Hamas used hospital basement to house hostages
Israel’s military accused Hamas of using the basement of Rantisi hospital in Gaza to house hostages after the Oct. 7 attack, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said at a briefing today that included video of soldiers walking through the basement.
In a video recorded by the IDF, Hagari speaks to the camera in English and shows what he says are Hamas explosives, vests with explosives, hand grenades and rocket-propelled grenades, and a motorcycle with a bullet hole in it that the IDF believes was used in the Oct. 7 attack. Hagari says he believes a Hamas militant rode the motorcycle back to the hospital after the attack.
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Hagari shows another room in the hospital, where the military presumes hostages were held. There is a baby bottle, diapers and a curtain hanging that the IDF says could be used to record hostage videos.
In the video, Hagari also points to a chart on the wall that he says shows where Hamas operatives put their names down for shifts to monitor hostages. An NBC News translation of the list includes days of the week, with an “X” marked on dates from Oct. 7 to Nov. 3. What appears to be a handwritten signature can be seen in the middle of the page. NBC News has not confirmed what the paper is or its purpose.
Speaking at the briefing, Hagari said the list marked the days from Oct. 7 and the name Hamas gave the operation.
“I don’t know exactly what it indicates. When did they leave this area? But you have to remember we evacuated the hospital with the patients,” Hagari said at the briefing. “They might have left with the patients. They might have ... ran away through tunnels, and we have signs that they had hostages with them. It’s still under investigation.”
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