Israeli forces move into Gaza's Nasser hospital; at least 1 patient killed

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Israel confirmed Thursday that its forces were conducting an operation inside one of Gaza's few functioning hospitals in the southern city of Khan Younis in pursuit of Hamas operatives and that several suspects had been captured.

Israel Defense Forces were operating "against the terrorist organization Hamas" inside the Nasser Hospital compound, IDF said in a post on X.

The military action was, the post added, based on intelligence information "indicating terrorist activity by Hamas at the hospital and its goal is to reach terrorist operatives, including those suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 massacre."

"A number of suspects have been detained at the hospital," IDF said.

Officials in Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said in a social media post that the hospital's orthopedic department had been targeted, killing at least one patient and injuring many others.

Israeli troops entered the complex hours after Israel ordered thousands of displaced Palestinians sheltering there to evacuate but said medical staff and patients could remain.

The United Nations had said the hospital was minimally functioning before IDF made its way in and is one of 11 hospitals functioning in Gaza.

The latest figures from the Hamas-affiliated Gaza Ministry of Health show 87 people were killed and 104 injured in Gaza in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of hostilities on Oct. 7 to 28,663, with 68,395 injuries.

Meanwhile, 200 miles to the northeast on the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli warplanes were in action for a second straight day, striking at Hezbollah launch positions, military buildings and other "terrorist infrastructure" of the militant organization in the Wadi Saluki area, the IDF wrote on social media.

"This morning fighter jets attacked a terrorist infrastructure of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Lavon area," IDF said.

The airstrikes followed an overnight attack on a Hezbollah military structure in the A-Taiba area.

On Wednesday, Israel fired rockets into Lebanon with "an extensive wave" of airstrikes by its warplanes in retaliation for a rocket attack on Safed in northern Israel that killed an Israeli woman and injured eight others.

Rockets also landed in the towns of Netua and Menara and at an IDF base in northern Israel, damaging launch site.