Israeli forces dressed in civilian clothes conducted a raid on a hospital in the northern occupied West Bank to detain an alleged Palestinian militant who had been injured in an Israeli airstrike. The raid, which involved around 20 undercover special forces, took place at a hospital in Nablus. The forces, disguised as medical personnel and civilians, swiftly apprehended the suspect in less than six minutes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the operation was in response to an 'elimination attempt' on the alleged militant, identified as Ayman Ghanam. Ghanam was reportedly involved in a shooting attack near an Israeli settlement that resulted in the death of one Israeli civilian and injury of another.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has highlighted that international law prohibits perfidy, including the feigning of civilian status to harm adversaries. The Palestinian Ministry of Health condemned the raid as a violation of international laws protecting medical facilities and patients, while the IDF asserted that the operation aimed to minimize harm to hospital staff and patients.
This incident follows a similar raid in January, where Israeli special forces infiltrated another hospital in Jenin and killed three Palestinian men. Ghanam, who was injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a terrorist cell, was receiving treatment at the hospital when the raid occurred.
Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, confirmed that two of its members were killed in the airstrike that injured Ghanam. The IDF emphasized its commitment to combating terrorism in the region to safeguard Israeli civilians.
