Israeli Soldiers Disguise Themselves as Medics in Undercover Hospital Raid

Undercover Israeli commandos disguised themselves as women and medical staff to enter a hospital in the West Bank and kill three gunmen inside.

The covert operation at the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin took place on Tuesday. One of the suspects killed was a Hamas member plotting another October 7-style attack on civilians, while the other two had been involved in recent violence, Israeli authorities said.

Israel and Palestinians have been engaged in a bitter territorial dispute for decades over land that has historical and religious significance for both sides. The most recent conflict was ignited when Palestinian militant group Hamas and other militants launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7. More than 1,200 people were killed and around 250 hostages seized, including women and children, according to the Associated Press.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by declaring war on Hamas, ordering a series of air strikes and launching a ground offensive into Gaza. The conflict has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, most of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, cited by the AP.

CCTV footage has been circulating online, which reportedly shows the raid in Jenin on Tuesday. In the clip, there are around a dozen undercover troops, including three in women's clothing and two dressed as medical staff. All appear to be clutching weapons as they move along a hospital corridor. One man was holding a baby carrier—covered by a blanket—in one hand and a gun in the other.

Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the footage.

The clip has been shared by Palestinian news agency Quds on X, (formerly Twitter), which named the three men it said had been killed. The footage was captioned: "The moment an undercover force from the Israeli occupation army, disguised as medical staff, sneaked into Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin this morning and assassinated three Palestinian young men: Mohammad Jalamneh, and the brothers Basil and Mohammad al-Ghazawi."

Reuters later revealed that Hamas and another Islamist group had come forward claiming the victims as their own.

The news agency posted on X: "Hamas claimed one of the dead in Ibn Sina hospital as its member. The allied faction Islamic Jihad claimed the other two, saying they were brothers. Ibn Sina said one of the brothers had been receiving treatment for an injury that paralyzed his legs."

Newsweek has reached out by email to the Israel Defense Forces and representatives for Palestinian authorities, seeking further information and comment about the raid.

Israel has long accused Hamas of using hospitals as shields to hide fighters and weapons, and says it has found tunnels beneath hospital buildings that were used by militants. Hamas rejects the allegations.

Referring to Tuesday's hospital raid by undercover troops, the Israeli military said: "This is another example of the cynical use of civilian areas and hospitals as shelters and human shields by terrorist organizations."

It is not the first time that undercover Israeli units have conducted a hospital raid.

Back in 2015, footage emerged of troops swooping on a hospital in the West Bank. During the pre-dawn raid, officers could be seen dressed as Palestinians, including some who appeared to have donned long fake beards to resemble the facial hair often grown by devout Muslims. One was disguised as a Palestinian woman in a black niqab, a long gown that totally covers the face and body.

When the footage emerged after the 2015 raid, the Times of Israel noted that it "gave a rare glimpse" into the secretive world of undercover units. In that raid, a Palestinian suspect wanted for stabbing an Israeli was taken away, while the suspect's cousin, who was said to be a Hamas operative, was shot dead after he allegedly attacked the troops during the operation.

Update 1/30/24, 7:47 a.m. ET: This article has been updated throughout.