On 20 December, Ismail Hanyeh, leader of the Politburo of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), arrived in Cairo, Egypt, to consult with the Egyptian side on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian assistance to Gaza and an exchange of detainees with Israel. The trip to Egypt is seen as the latest sign that negotiations may be making progress.
Ismail Chania
At the same time, the Israeli military said on the 20th that a network of underground tunnels used by Hamas leaders had been found in the Gaza Strip, including the hideout of the mastermind accused of planning the attack on Israel on October 7.
The director of a hospital in northern Gaza recently admitted to being a member of Hamas during a recent interrogation by the Israeli army, which used the hospital to hide its agents, carry out military activities, mobilize personnel, and even bring back a captured soldier.
The Israeli military claims to have discovered tunnels used by the Hamas leadership
Including the October 7 attack on the mastermind's hideout
The video released by the Israeli army on the 20th shows that "a vast network of tunnels connects the hideouts, offices and residential apartments belonging to Hamas's senior leadership", said Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner, who discovered these tunnels when Israeli soldiers took control of the center of Gaza city in recent days.
Peter Lerner said the underground tunnels near Palestine Square in Gaza City were "used by senior Hamas officials, including two leaders, Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohamed Deif, commander of the Hamas military wing, to direct their operations."
The Israeli military claimed that tunnels were found at the residence of Adjutant Sinwar
Sinwar is Hamas's top leader in the Gaza Strip. Israel accuses him and Deyves of being "behind the planning" of the October 7 attack on Israel.
A video shows a 20-meter-deep tunnel. The Israeli military said the tunnel was found at Adjutant Sinwar's residence, accessible 20 meters underground via a spiral staircase and elevator, and equipped with electricity, water pipes, surveillance cameras and heavy-duty blast doors. The Israeli military statement said it was "an underground infrastructure connecting the Palestine Square to the area of the Landisi Hospital and the Shifa Hospital."
On 15 November, the Israeli army launched a nighttime raid on the Shifa Hospital, prompting an international outcry. Despite repeated denials from hospital officials and Hamas, Israel continues to accuse Hamas of operating a command center underneath the hospital.
According to the Israeli military:
The director of a hospital admitted that he was a member of Hamas
The Israeli military arrested dozens of medical workers at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on December 12. The hospital is the only medical facility in the northern Gaza Strip that is still functioning. According to Israeli statements, some of those arrested were members of the Hamas group, and some were identified as having been involved in the October 7 attacks.
During interrogations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the National Security Agency (NSA), the director of Kamal Advan Hospital admitted that Hamas had used the hospital to hide its agents, carry out military activities, mobilize personnel and even bring back a captured soldier.
Ahmed Karot was interrogated
On Tuesday, Simbet and the Israel Defense Forces reportedly released a video of the interrogation of Ahmed Karot, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. Karot admitted that he became a lieutenant colonel officer in Hamas in 2010 and that about 16 staff members of the hospital, including doctors, nurses and paramedics, are members of Hamas and belong to the Qassam Brigades.
During the interrogation, the director said that Hamas leaders and two senior officials had offices inside the hospital. On that day (October 7), they also brought a "kidnapped soldier" to the hospital.
The director told the interrogators: "Hamas has offices in the hospital, and the whole hospital is the base of operations. They hid in the hospital because they believed it was a safe place and would not be harmed. He also said that Hamas has its own private ambulances of a different color than the ones used by medical staff, and that those ambulances do not serve ordinary patients.
A new truce was drawn up
Hamas leaders went to Egypt to negotiate a ceasefire
Since the outbreak of the conflict, 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children. Most of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip have been forced to flee their homes, and all health infrastructure has been severely hit by Israeli army bombardment and ground operations.
Hamas Politburo leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on the 20th, and will hold talks with Abbas Kamal, director of the Egyptian Intelligence Agency, and others, focusing on issues such as achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, and exchanging detainees with Israel. Separately, the leadership of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (Jihad) will travel to Egypt in the coming days to participate in negotiations.
On 20 December, Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip was attacked
The negotiators are said to be prepared to draw up a new seven-day truce during which Hamas will release 40 hostages, including women, children and non-military men, and that the new truce could be extended if further hostages and Palestinian prisoners are released by consensus.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the hostages' families on the 19th that the Israeli government may also be open to a truce agreement.
On the evening of the 20th, IDF spokesman Aviche Adraj posted through social media that the Israeli army has completed "full control" of the Hamas command center in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas has not responded to this for the time being. Israeli army spokesman Hagari said on the same day that as the Israeli army's military operation in the northern Gaza Strip is "nearing completion," the Israeli army has begun to fight the Hamas armed forces in the new area of Gaza City.
Red Star News reporter Deng Shuyi comprehensive CCTV news report
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