Hamas commander killed, implicated in using a thousand "human shields"

The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the killing of a significant Hamas commander, who, according to their report, had employed about a thousand civilians as "human shields" in a hospital in Northern Gaza for two days.

The Israeli Defense Forces identified the slain Hamas commander as Ahmed Siam, who "held around 1,000 Gaza residents as civilian hostages in Rantisi Hospital, serving as human shields for two days". Siam was the leader of the Nasser-Radwan company.

The Israeli military bulletin stated that Siam was located and targeted based on intelligence data gathered by Shin Bet, military intelligence, and Givati Brigade units.

Siam was killed at Al-Burak school in Northern Gaza during bombardments on Thursday, along with other Hamas militants. We have footage of the site post-bombardment.

"Ahmed Siam's case is further evidence of Hamas's practice of using civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields," added the Israeli military in its bulletin.

Mohammed Abu Selmejah, the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza, announced on Friday that no fewer than 20 Palestinians were killed during the shelling of Al-Burak school in Gaza City. Abu Selmejah also holds an official role in the Ministry of Health under the Hamas-led Gaza Strip government.

In the meantime, Al Jazeera reported that refugees were taking shelter in the school, hiding from the fierce battles happening in Gaza City.