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Hamas Terrorists Admit Israeli Hostages Held at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital
Ahmad Kahalot, a senior Hamas member and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, speaking to Israeli interrogators. Photo: Screenshot
Israeli hostages were held in Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, a new report citing terrorists’ confessions revealed this week.
The discovery followed an Israeli raid that uncovered a sprawling network of terrorists operating within the hospital’s walls, leading to the detention of over 240 Hamas terrorists, some of whom — including a senior commander who attempted to evade capture by posing as a patient with a broken arm — admitted that the facility was used as a base for Hamas operations.
The hospital, which is located in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, was used to hide terrorists at different times, Fox News Digital said in a report published on Tuesday. According to captured terrorist Anas Muhammad Faiz al-Sharif, the hospital was seen as a “a safe haven for them because the [Israeli] military cannot directly target it.”
Gonen Ben Itzhak, former spy handler for Mosab Yousef, the son of Hamas’s co-founder who became an informant for Israel, said the news came as no surprise, noting that international aid organizations were “complicit in war crimes carried out under the cover of those criticizing Israel.”
“Hamas’s reign of terror in Gaza has led to the fact that all government systems in the Strip, as well as civilian systems, are subordinate to Hamas and have an affiliation with Hamas,” the Shin Bet agent turned lawyer and activist told The Algemeiner.
During last month’s raid, Israeli forces uncovered that its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was actively complicit in Hamas’s terrorist activities. As interrogations of detainees progressed, it became clear that Abu Safiya was more than just a passive observer — he was a key figure in facilitating Hamas operations. Despite his involvement in the group’s actions, an international campaign has emerged since then to call for his release, a movement spurred by his media appearances throughout the war.
“We realized that the person at the heart of it all, the one organizing the terrorism and Hamas activities within the compound, was the hospital director himself,” Lt. (res.) D., a field investigator in military intelligence, told Israel’s Channel 12 news. “The world must understand that there is close and clear cooperation between the medical team and the senior leadership of the terrorist organization: they cynically exploit our desire to avoid harming the helpless and use the medical platform to establish a base for terrorism.”
Terrorists inside the facility reportedly distributed grenades, mortars, and equipment for ambushing Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops. “The [terrorist] operatives were there, transporting equipment and weapons like AK-47s … and pistols,” Faiz al-Sharif said, confirming that “the weapons were transferred to and from the hospital.”
Lt. D also reported becoming suspicious of a man posing as an injured patient during a routine check at the hospital’s ambulance platform. Upon questioning, the man gave a false name and ID, claiming to have been injured days earlier. But, the cast on his arm appeared freshly applied, raising the IDF investigator’s doubts. The investigator would later learn that he was a senior Hamas commander who had been involved in the Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of southern Israel and was still running terror operations until the day of his capture.
“During the interrogation, [the terrorist] confessed that the doctor sitting next to him had faked the cast to help him escape in a humanitarian aid ambulance. He explained Hamas’s strategy, saying they know there’s little chance the IDF will interrogate wounded individuals being evacuated for medical treatment, so he tried to exploit the opportunity to flee,” Lt. D told Channel 12.
Ben Itzhak blasted international aid organizations, including UNRWA and the Red Cross, for serving as a facade enabling terrorist operations in Gaza.
“The international organizations bear responsibility for war crimes committed by Hamas against Israel, against the Israeli hostages, and also against the poor residents of Gaza,” he told The Algemeiner.
“They allowed Hamas to trample on international law and use civilian infrastructure: kindergartens, schools, clinics, and hospitals as military headquarters … dragging Israel into military activity that is perceived by the world, in the eyes of those who are not familiar with the cruel reality of Gaza, as war crimes.”
The hospital’s ties to terrorism run deep and are longstanding, starting with its very name. Kamal Adwan, for whom the facility is named, was a Palestinian Fatah operative responsible for attacks in Nahariya and Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market before being killed by the IDF in 1973.
Last month’s raid wasn’t the first on the hospital. On Dec. 12, 2023, around 90 people were detained, including its then director, Ahmed Kahlout. The IDF at the time released a video of his interrogation, in which he described how Hamas used the hospital as a base for Hamas operations. Its ambulances were used to transport terrorists and even Israeli hostages, Kahlout said.
Kahlout revealed that he was recruited into Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and received military training. He also said that other staff members, including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, were part of Hamas’s military network. Kahlout called Hamas leaders “cowards” and blamed them for the suffering, saying, “They ruined us,” hinting that his involvement may not have been entirely voluntary. He was later released, but according to Palestinian media reports, was killed by an Israeli drone in November.
The post Hamas Terrorists Admit Israeli Hostages Held at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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South Africa Distances Itself From Army Chief’s Pledges of Military, Political Support to Iran
Iranian Major General Amir Hatami and South African General Rudzani Maphwanya meet in Tehran to discuss strengthening military cooperation and strategic ties. Photo: Screenshot
South Africa’s army chief has faced domestic backlash after pledging military and political support to Iran during a recent visit, prompting government officials to distance themselves from his remarks over concerns they could harm Pretoria’s efforts to strengthen ties with the United States.
Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have denounced Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), for his trip to Tehran earlier this week, describing his remarks as “reckless grandstanding.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-largest party in the governing coalition, has called for Maphwanya to be court-martialed for breaking neutrality and violating military law, saying his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy.”
“This reckless grandstanding comes at a time when South Africa’s relations with key democratic partners, especially the United States, are already under severe strain,” DA defense spokesperson Chris Hattingh said in a statement.
“The SANDF’s job is to lead and manage the defense forces, not to act as an unsanctioned political envoy. Allowing our most senior military officer to make partisan foreign policy pronouncements is strategically reckless, diplomatically irresponsible, and economically self-defeating,” he continued.
“South Africa cannot afford to have its international standing further sabotaged by political adventurism from the military’s top brass,” Hattingh said.
Iran and South Africa held high-level military talks earlier this week as both nations seek to deepen cooperation and strengthen their partnership against what officials called “global arrogance and aggressive colonial approaches.”
During a joint press conference with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, Maphwanya called for deeper ties between the two nations, especially in defense cooperation, affirming that “the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals.”
“We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenseless people of the world,” the South African general said.
He also criticized Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, expressed support for the Palestinian people, and told Iranian officials that his visit “conveys a political message” on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.
However, shortly after Maphwanya’s remarks drew media attention, the South African government moved to distance itself from his comments, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry stating that his comments “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance.”
The Defense Department, which described Maphwanya’s comments as “unfortunate,” confirmed that he is now expected to meet with the Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, upon his return to provide explanations.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, clarified that the president was neither aware of the trip nor had he sanctioned it.
“The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes,” Magwenya told reporters during a press conference on Thursday.
“It is crucial to clarify that the implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy is a function of the presidency,” he continued. “Any statements made by an individual, or a department other than those responsible for foreign policy, should not be misinterpreted as the official position of the South African government.”
Maphwanya’s trip to Iran came after the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) released a recent report detailing how South Africa’s deepening ties with Tehran have led the country to compromise its democratic foundations and constitutional principles by aligning itself with a regime internationally condemned for terrorism, repression, and human rights abuses.
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Democrat Pete Buttigieg Toughens Stance on Israel, Says He Backs Arms Embargo Following Left-Wing Pressure
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during an appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast on Aug. 10, 2025. Photo: Screenshot
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat considered by many observers to be a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has recalibrated his stance on Israel, moving from cautious language to a far more critical position after facing backlash over recent comments on the popular “Pod Save America” podcast.
In his podcast interview on Sunday, Buttigieg called Israel “a friend” and said the United States should “put your arm around” the country during difficult times. He also sidestepped a direct answer on whether the US should recognize a Palestinian state, describing the question as “profound” but offering little elaboration beyond calls for peace.
That measured approach drew sharp criticism from progressives and foreign policy voices who argued that his words were too vague amid the ongoing war in Gaza and a shifting sentiment within the Democratic party base regarding Israel. Evolving fault lines within the Democratic Party over US policy toward its staunch Middle Eastern ally signal that the issue could loom large in the 2028 presidential primary.
Following Sunday’s interview, US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) urged Buttigieg to show “moral clarity,” while Ben Rhodes, former White House aide to President Barack Obama, said he was left uncertain where the Cabinet official stood. Social media critics accused Buttigieg of offering platitudes that dodged hard policy commitments.
In a follow-up interview with Politico published on Thursday, Buttigieg took a decidedly tougher line. He said he supports recognizing a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution and ending the decades-long practice of providing military aid to the Jewish state through sweeping, multi-year packages. Instead, he called for a case-by-case review of assistance, while emphasizing the need to stop civilian deaths, release hostages, and ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Perhaps most significantly, Buttigieg indicated support for a US arms embargo on Israel, saying he would have signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders’s recently proposed resolution to prohibit arms sales to the Jewish state.
The shift places Buttigieg closer to the party’s progressive flank on foreign policy, a notable change for a figure often viewed as a bridge between the Democratic establishment and younger, more liberal voters. For a likely 2028 contender, the move reflects both the political risks of appearing out of step with an increasingly skeptical base and the growing influence of voices calling for sharper limits on US support for Israel.
Recent polling shows a generational divide on the issue, with younger Democrats far more likely to back conditioning aid to Israel and recognizing Palestinian statehood.
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Former Algemeiner Correspondent Gidon Ben-Zvi Dies at 51
Gidon Ben-Zvi. Photo: Screenshot
Gidon Ben-Zvi, former Jerusalem Correspondent for The Algemeiner, has died at the age of 51 after a fight with cancer.
Ben-Zvi continued to write op-eds for The Algemeiner even after he left as a correspondent, including in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel.
An accomplished writer, Ben-Zvi left Hollywood for Jerusalem in 2009, moving back to Israel after spending 12 years in the United States. From 1994-1997, Gidon served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in an infantry unit.
In addition to writing for The Algemeiner, Ben-Zvi contributed to the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, CiF Watch, and blogged at Jerusalem State of Mind.
Ben-Zvi joined HonestReporting as a senior editor in June 2020, becoming an integral part of the editorial department and writing dozens of articles and media critiques for the watchdog group exposing anti-Israel bias. He moved with his family to Haifa at the end of 2022.
Ben-Zvi’s final article for HonestReporting was published in January 2025, before he took a leave of absence for health reasons. HonestReporting said in a newly published obituary that staff believed he would eventually return, noting the positivity and perseverance he exuded. The advocacy group said it learned of Ben-Zvi’s passing late last month.
Ben-Zvi leaves behind his wife, Debbie, and four young children.
All Ben-Zvi’s articles for The Algemeiner can be found here.
May his memory be a blessing.