Jerusalem- Israel has accused Hamas of using Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as a center for interrogations, torture and internal security operations, claiming the group is increasingly using intimidation to maintain control as its support among Palestinians declines.
A joint statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency said Hamas has expanded the activities of its security and military intelligence branches. According to Israeli authorities, the group is using threats, interrogations and alleged torture to prevent Palestinians from challenging its authority in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet said intelligence information indicates that Hamas is operating from the Yassin building at Nasser Hospital. They alleged that interrogations by Hamas’s internal security and military intelligence personnel are taking place on the second floor of the hospital’s outpatient clinics.
Israel further claimed that Hamas is using the hospital for activities unrelated to medical treatment, including interrogations, alleged torture, collecting money and other governance-related operations.
The allegations come as efforts to advance a US-backed plan for Hamas’s disarmament remain stalled. Under the proposal, Hamas would surrender its weapons in exchange for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas has said it accepts the plan, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the group must fully disarm before Israel agrees to the arrangement.
Netanyahu also denied Thursday that he had approved the deployment of international peacekeepers in Gaza.
Israel said the latest intelligence demonstrates that Hamas is attempting to preserve its control over the territory despite declining public support. The group has not, in the account provided, publicly acknowledged the specific allegations concerning Nasser Hospital.
The claims have not been independently verified. Hospitals in Gaza have remained vital facilities for civilians during the conflict, while Israel and Hamas continue to dispute allegations over the use of civilian infrastructure for military and security purposes.
The latest accusations add to the growing uncertainty over Gaza’s future governance, security and the role Hamas would play if a broader ceasefire and political agreement is eventually reached.
