The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Hamas operative Ahmed Siam, who was believed to be holding about 1,000 civilians as hostages at Rantisi Hospital in the Gaza Strip, was killed. The update appeared on the IDF Telegram channel and was subsequently echoed by Israeli security briefings.
Following Israel’s announcement of a ground operation, officials stated that Siam refused to permit civilian evacuations to move south within Gaza. According to the IDF and the Shin Bet security service, Siam was found hiding in a schoolyard at the time the strike occurred. The authorities characterized this incident as evidence that civilians in Gaza are being used as human shields by Hamas militants.
Earlier reports from the IDF referenced a car-bomb incident in Gaza, which authorities described as part of the evolving security challenge in the region.
Since October 7, the Middle East has seen a sharp escalation as thousands of Hamas militants breached Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, coinciding with Hamas declaring the initiation of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was at war and would pursue a comprehensive military campaign.
Israel’s stated objective in its response, framed as Operation Iron Sword, was to repel the initial assault, secure the release of more than 200 hostages, including foreign nationals, and degrade Hamas’s capabilities. To achieve this, the IDF launched intensive rocket offensives against targets in Gaza from the first day of the operation. Concurrently, the Israeli National Security Council decided to suspend essential services such as water, food, electricity, and fuel to the Gaza Strip, a move intended to pressure Hamas and disrupt militant operations. Humanitarian aid shipments reached Gaza through the Rafah crossing only after October 20, but officials noted that the supply volumes remained insufficient to meet urgent humanitarian needs.
On October 27, Israel announced the expansion of the ground operation in Gaza. The exact start date of the intensified ground push remained unclear, even as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had already fled their homes to seek safety in shelters or to move south away from the fighting. By November 5, as the ground operation progressed, IDF forces reportedly surrounded Gaza City and cut off additional supplies, with combat continuing in central Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hollywood filmmakers and actors publicly urged restraint, with statements from prominent figures including those addressing President Biden to halt the hostilities in Israel and Gaza. In these appeals, the emphasis was on preventing further civilian harm while continuing humanitarian considerations and regional stability.