Israel confirms hostage death as a mass grave is being dug at a hospital in Gaza

Including updates from Hugo Bachega in Lebanon, Jeremy Bowen and Mark Lowen in southern Israel, Paul Adams, Yolande Knell, Yogita Limaye, Nick Beake, Joel Gunter, and Orla Guerin in Jerusalem; and Rushdi Abualouf in Gaza

Our reporter in Gaza has been informed by a witness that a mass grave is being dug at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City.

The hospital’s director claims that 179 remains are buried there, while the witness claims to have seen 30 bodies there.

READ ALSO: Gaza’s largest hospital loses contact with WHO

There is fierce fighting going on in Gaza City between Israel and Hamas, even at the hospital.

Israel claims that Hamas is in charge of an Al-Shifa command centre; both Hamas and the hospital refute this claim.

The UN earlier warned that premature newborns and dialysis patients cannot receive treatment because of the hospital’s fuel shortage.

Israel, meantime, has confirmed the demise of soldier Noa Marciano, 19, who was abducted by Hamas a month ago.

Following the October 7 Hamas onslaught, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 200 hostages, Israel started attacking Gaza.

Since then, over 11,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 4,500 of whom were children.

BBC