Wolfgang Tietze | September 2026 (English Translation / Adaptation)
Foreword:
The Blind Spots of Global Reporting (November–December 2023)
In the final months of 2023, the eyes of the global public were firmly fixed on al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. While international media heavyweights—including American heavyweights such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, alongside prominent British newspapers like The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, and The Times, as well as major broadcasters like the BBC—reported extensively on military operations, the medical crisis, and the contradictory statements of the conflicting parties, their coverage suffered from a profound systemic flaw.
International mainstream reporting largely followed the official narratives of the information war. While The Wall Street Journal reported on Israel releasing footage intended to prove that the compound was used by armed fighters, The New York Times focused on official video releases showing tunnel infrastructure beneath the besieged hospital, and The Washington Post published open-source deep dives into military claims, these major outlets remained trapped within a narrow framework: they focused primarily on macro-level military infrastructure, tunnel allegations, and institutional statements.
What was missing from nearly all major Western reports during those critical weeks was the micro-level forensic reality of visual material produced by the actors themselves. While major newsrooms analyzed satellite coordinates and official releases, they overlooked or concealed the immediate, local choreography at the hospital gates and courtyards—including the unimpeded movement of local participants documenting the aftermath of the October 7 events.
This investigation fills that gap. It does not offer a general overview of wartime politics; rather, it provides a forensic, frame-by-frame reconstruction of the path taken by the hostages and their captors. By combining geolocation, frame-by-frame video analysis, and contemporaneous field communications, this dossier challenges the uncritical or restricted framing accepted by major global media in late 2023—and delivers the definitive documentation that was missing at the time of reporting.
Shortly after 10:40 a.m. on October 7, a large number of vehicles drove through the gates of al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza. These were not ambulances, and they were not transporting wounded terrorists. They were transporting Israeli hostages.
Newly surfaced exclusive Palestinian video footage now proves that Al-Shifa Hospital served as a key Hamas command center for the transfer and distribution of abducted Israelis.
Of particular significance to this investigation are two videos that appeared only briefly on a Palestinian Telegram channel. They show abducted Israeli vehicles being driven onto the al-Shifa Hospital grounds.
This is the first time this material has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Previously, official evidence suggested that only two or three hostages passed through al-Shifa Hospital on October 7. The following evidence, including single-frame analysis of previously unreleased footage, shows that this figure is significantly underestimated and that the actual number was much higher.
One of the most revealing aspects of what happened at al-Shifa is not just what occurred, but what did not occur. Although prominent journalists from Gaza were present, none reported on the arrival of the hostages. One even falsely portrayed a jeep full of captured Israeli women as „injured Palestinians“ brought in for medical treatment.
Warning: This article contains disturbing footage of hostages taken on October 7.
The Hostages from Nahal Oz
On the morning of October 7, one of the gravest failures in IDF history occurred at the Nahal Oz military base near Gaza. The base was quickly overrun by a large number of terrorists, and more than 20 soldiers were killed there—including 16 female spotters/observers.
Ten living hostages were abducted from the base—seven female observers and three members of a tank crew.
In May 2024, with the consent of the families, a longer video titled „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ regarding the female hostages prior to their abduction from al-Shifa was released. A single-frame analysis of the entire video now shows that six hostages were forced into a single stolen IDF jeep: four female observers, all visibly alive at the time and being led to the jeep; a fifth hostage, likely also an observer, lying injured on the floor of the vehicle (presumed to be Noa Marciano*); and a sixth, a soldier who was apparently severely injured or already dead:
These single frames from the video „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023“ show how 6 Israeli hostages were loaded into a green military jeep at around 10:20 AM.
The Abduction of Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*
Not all hostages from Nahal Oz were transported in the same vehicle. Some were separated at the base and placed into different cars before being driven to Gaza. Before the six hostages were brought to Gaza in the green military jeep, another transport was already underway.
These 3 single frames from „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ show a dialogue between the terrorists. Approximate time around 10:00 AM.
This Hamas video, recorded on October 7 at around 10:00 AM at the Nahal Oz Base, shows the departure of the black jeep carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*; they are seated separately and guarded by terrorists.
These are images from a Hamas video showing the departure of the black jeep, including Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Route in Gaza
By searching dozens, if not hundreds, of Telegram channels, further clues were found, allowing part of the journey of these two vehicles to be tracked. The decisive evidentiary details captured in all the film material used here are the license plates 703-145 and 507105 of the vehicles, the 3 bullet holes in the windshield, the broken small front right headlight, the special features of the black jeep, and the accompanying terrorists and hostages.
This footage was recorded shortly after the stolen vehicle entered Gaza City. It was found on only a single Telegram channel from Nablus. In the clip, the jeep carrying the hostages from Nahal Oz drives through a narrow street in the Shuja’iyya district of Gaza. License plate 703-145 is clearly visible. Civilians cheer as the stolen jeep and other vehicles drive past. The street visible in the clip is Riyadh Street in the Shuja’iyya district. The jeep travels westward toward Rimal and the coast.
The visible landmarks allowed for an exact geolocation of the footage (geolocation credits go to “TwistyCB” on X):
Onward to Al-Shifa
Other images of the jeep allow us to track its journey further. Based on this location (geolocation credited to “TwistyCB” on X), we know this photo was taken shortly after the street scene footage. Here, the jeep is at the intersection of Baghdad Street and Salah al-Din Road, continuing westward toward the Rimal district of Gaza and the coast:
Another useful image from the same Telegram post shows the vehicle shortly before the turn—three distinct bullet holes are visible in the windshield, a telling feature allowing definitive re-identification later.
Naama Levy was dragged from the back of the black vehicle and pushed onto the rear seats when the black jeep stopped in Gaza City. The vehicle is a black-painted Jeep Wrangler. It is the same jeep that left the Nahal Oz Base shortly before the green jeep.
This footage was also geolocated (credits to @BenDoBrown on X), establishing that this vehicle travelled along the same route down Baghdad Street as the captured green IDF jeep carrying the other six hostages.
What is significant is not only the identity of the vehicles, but the alignment of their routes. Both vehicles move west through Gaza City toward the Rimal district—in the same direction as al-Shifa.
Based on the geolocation of the stolen IDF vehicle turning onto Baghdad Street and the position of the Jeep Wrangler holding Naama Levy, we can definitively establish that these locations were only 160 meters apart.
This proves that at least two separate vehicles carrying hostages abducted from the same base were traveling on parallel routes to the same destination within the same time window.
Based on the reconstructed route taken by the „Nahal Oz convoy“ toward the Hamas stronghold of Rimal, the vehicles passed another fully functional hospital along the way—refuting any credible claim that this trip was about providing urgent medical care. al-Ahli Arab Hospital was operating normally on October 7, is significantly closer to Nahal Oz, and borders the route through Gaza City.
As these vehicles continued driving, al-Ahli Hospital was only one or two minutes away:
However, the terrorists did not stop there. Instead, they drove past al-Ahli and continued westward toward al-Shifa, situated in the heart of the Rimal district where the Hamas stronghold was located.
The Target: The Hamas Headquarters at al-Shifa
While much of the footage from October 7 was widely shared, a portion of critical material remained inaccessible. The following Video 01 is one of two clips identified by experienced German journalist Wolfgang Tietze, who worked for Spiegel TV / Der Spiegel from 1990 to 2003.
Both videos were later removed, and the account that uploaded them was deleted. They had been posted with download functions disabled. Wolfgang Tietze recognized their significance and recorded the footage directly from his screen. These two videos form the core of this research—together with his detailed findings and additional context. Part of this material can still be found on Palestinian Telegram channels.
This is the first time this footage has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Video 01 was recorded on the morning of October 7 outside the gates of al-Shifa Hospital.
As the Israeli military jeep drives onto the hospital grounds, license plate 703-145 is visible for a brief moment, confirming once again that the exact same jeep that left Nahal Oz with Israeli hostages was present at Al-Shifa.
The arrival is greeted by cheering crowds. Armed terrorists jump out of the vehicle and surround it to guard the hostages. More vehicles arrive. The footage shows a chilling contrast: outside, an enthusiastic crowd cheers while armed terrorists emerge to protect their loot; inside the vehicle, Israeli hostages suffer terror, violence, and utter helplessness.
Single frames from Video 01 of the now-deleted Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Young and old civilians, hospital support staff, hospital onlookers, plainclothes terrorists stepping out of the crowd, and armed terrorists rushing over are all recognizable. They all know what is happening at Shifa Hospital that morning and what significance this location holds for Hamas.
The following video, showing four female hostages, was most likely recorded on the al-Shifa Hospital grounds and shows the vehicle surrounded by a noisy crowd. It was uploaded to numerous Palestinian Telegram channels on October 7:
Video from a spectator on the al-Shifa grounds, 4 female hostages are clearly visible.
Al-Shifa hospital features are clearly identifiable
Single frames from this video** show features of the hospital grounds. An ambulance** parked parallel to the jeep is somewhat clearer. The abducted women can be seen in jeep 703-145 at timestamp 0:05.
Thanks to later IDF disclosures, we can now assign an exact timestamp to this moment.
IDF CCTV Footage
On November 19, 2023, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari held a press conference presenting still images from CCTV footage showing what he described as „stolen IDF vehicles“ entering al-Shifa. The IDF discovered these recordings on a laptop during searches of Shifa Hospital. They show the same vehicles seen in the unique Palestinian Video 01 from October 7. The IDF image shows vehicles from inside the al-Shifa grounds; the 3 images below show them from street level.
Comparison of CCTV capture with single frames from Video 01 of Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Based on this match, the arrival of the military jeep from Nahal Oz Base at Al-Shifa can be dated to 10:53 AM on the morning of October 7—half an hour after the vehicles left Nahal Oz Base.
Given the crowd’s attention, celebrations, and armed terrorists guarding the vehicle, it is clear that hostages were inside at that moment.
Another Vehicle with Hostages at al-Shifa: The Jeep Wrangler
Another vehicle of interest arrived at Al-Shifa beforehand: the black Jeep Wrangler localized near Baghdad Street, matching the vehicle in which Naama Levy and Ori Megidish* were transported after abduction.
At 11:30 AM Gaza local time, footage of this vehicle was already circulating on Telegram. The location shown is unmistakably the al-Shifa Hospital grounds:
Knowing that the captured green IDF jeep with Nahal Oz hostages drove to al-Shifa, the appearance of another vehicle carrying hostages at the hospital within the same timeframe is unsurprising.
Furthermore, as in the other videos, the bystanders‘ behavior is telling. Their concentrated focus on the vehicle and attempts to identify the occupants align with the arrival of another hostage vehicle—very likely the one carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Hamas Command and Distribution Center
A second piece of deleted footage, Video 02, recorded by the same person on the access road to Al-Shifa Hospital, reinforces the picture of Al-Shifa as a major Hamas operations center on the morning of October 7.
This second clip again shows a stolen IDF vehicle and civilian cars driving onto hospital grounds.
A previously undiscovered photo by a well-known Palestinian photographer proves these vehicles drove directly onto the Al-Shifa grounds.
Visible evidence (see circular highlight) indicates hostages were inside these vehicles. Frame-by-frame analysis suggests this conclusion. Furthermore, multiple hostages are recognizable in single frames across the Al-Shifa compound.
Photo by a well-known Gaza photographer – The stolen Israeli military jeep 703-145 on the al-Shifa grounds
The arrival of the military jeep—alongside other stolen military vehicles converging in a narrow window at the same location—is significant. Yet most notable is the behavior of the many Palestinians present.
The scale of incoming vehicles cannot be overlooked. Evidence shows multiple stolen IDF vehicles and additional cars arriving in Al-Shifa within minutes, greeted by a large, cheering crowd. In total, approximately 16 different vehicles (incl. motorcycle) can be identified. Dozens of hostages must have been transported into al-Shifa.
The IDF later released additional CCTV material showing another stolen IDF jeep arriving at al-Shifa as early as 10:42 AM—just eleven minutes before the vehicle known to carry hostages arrived at 10:53 AM.
Evidence also shows dozens of armed fighters present at the hospital at this time. Together, these procedures place Al-Shifa at the center of events—serving as a command, meeting, and distribution point within Hamas’s operational network that morning.
CCTV footage released by the IDF on November 19, 2023, from inside al-Shifa
In addition to vehicles and hostages already documented, several further examples confirm al-Shifa’s central role in capturing and transporting hostages.
We know Noa Marciano was held near al-Shifa before being brought back there and brutally murdered by a „health professional“.
We also know Ori Megidish was rescued from a nearby location.
Beyond these examples, footage shows another murdered Israeli hostage, likely Ran Gvili* (per @NoaMagid on X), transported on a motorcycle by a terrorist from Kibbuz Alumim to Gaza and driven onto the al-Shifa grounds around noon, where his arrival was greeted by a cheering crowd.
Terrorist transporting the body of Ran Gvili
The first picture shows the terrorist somewhere in Gaza, taking a different route than the jeeps from Nahal Oz Base. The second image shows him with Ran Gvili’s body approaching the al-Shifa entrance (single frame from video by a cameraman later working for ARD and BBC). The third photo shows this terrorist at the al-Shifa entrance.
Together, these pictures confirm the pattern emerging from the two video recordings, depicting Al-Shifa not merely as a transit point, but as a site where hostage-taking, detentions, and consequences repeatedly intersect.
Even leaving aside hostages abducted from other locations—such as Yehudit Weiss from Kibbutz Beeri, whose body was later found near al-Shifa—the pattern emerging from Nahal Oz alone is striking. The destination is always al-Shifa.
And the question arises: How many hostages were actually brought to al-Shifa by Hamas and other terrorists on October 7—20, 40, 60? These two important videos capture merely 80 to 90 seconds of events. Together with other videos and pictures by up to five unknown photographers, further details emerge hinting at what truly transpired on the al-Shifa grounds.
Another previously unknown video shows the same three vehicles previously parked near the red pavilion on the Al-Shifa grounds continuing onward into Rimal after exiting via Ez-Eldine Al-Qussam Street. This video was also found on a Palestinian cameraman’s social media account. Here we see a photo from a WSJ article; the photographer is Mohammed Talatene of DPA. This photo shows the identical stolen jeep from the unknown video
Hit and Run
Shortly after October 7, Hamas published pictures and videos of four young women from Nahal Oz to show: Look, we have the hostages, they are safe and being cared for.
Previous material does not clearly show what happened to the hostages on the al-Shifa grounds.
One plausible explanation is that hostages were quickly moved further—potentially into the tunnel network beneath or near the hospital—and distributed elsewhere.
A newly discovered photo makes another explanation likely: An ambulance briefly parked next to the jeep carrying the young women (visible in blurry video** across some single frames). Were these women transferred into that ambulance? Shortly after, the ambulance was gone. Did it take them to their guards‘ apartment?
Screenshot of a photo by a well-known Gaza photographer
This interpretation is supported by footage uploaded less than half an hour after the transports arrived, showing the stolen IDF jeep leaving al-Shifa. At that point, it remains unclear whether hostages were still inside.
A video by a well-known Gaza cameraman shows the stolen jeep 703-145 leaving al-Shifa
There is no plausible reason hostages would still be inside. The terrorists drive the jeep back in the same direction—possibly to bring more hostages to al-Shifa. The hospital was part of Hamas’s command structure that morning. Hamas terrorists moved freely inside and out. If hostages were no longer in the vehicle, who took them into custody on the grounds if not an operational unit already stationed there? One thing is certain: al-Shifa was a central Hamas organization hub on October 7. A newly surfaced photo further suggests the jeep actually made the return trip empty.
Photo by a well-known Palestinian journalist from Gaza: Close-up of stolen military jeep 703-145, terrorists clearly visible
The Journalists, the Doctors, and Deliberate Deception
For over two years, many international media outlets, especially in Germany, downplayed Al-Shifa’s role in Hamas operations and disputed Israeli claims that the hospital served as more than a civilian medical facility.
The events of October 7 tell a different story.
When these events unfolded, at least 11 journalists from Gaza were present at al-Shifa Hospital. Cameras were rolling. Live reports broadcasted from the complex all morning and into the afternoon.
Satellite broadcast truck placed directly outside al-Shifa in the morning
Yet despite the arrival of stolen military vehicles, armed terrorists, civilian cars carrying hostages, and cheering crowds, not a single journalist reported on the arrival of Israeli hostages at the hospital.
ARD’s Gaza contributor, Mohammad Abu Saif, posted photos of his friends in Gaza on his Instagram account (more on that in the article on „Contributors from Gaza“). His friends include one of the photographers who photographed hostage transfers into al-Shifa on October 7.
Screenshot from an ARD broadcast dated January 24, 2024
Here we see him alongside photographers Mohammed Talatene (DPA, left) and Mohannad Al Katheeb (right). Al Katheeb was held in deportation custody; he faces allegations of Hamas links and participation on October 7.
Neither this Gaza-based ARD contributor nor the ARD studio in Tel Aviv reported on the October 7 occurrences.
Another example is especially egregious. A series of photos published by Kurdish television station Rudaw and its website—shot by journalist Mohammed Salem—bear the caption: „Continuous transport of wounded Palestinians to the Shifa Medical Complex.“
The three distinct bullet holes in the windshield leave no doubt that this is the same jeep that transported hostages from Nahal Oz. The journalists present could see the crowds, celebrating throngs, and armed terrorists, knowing precisely what was happening.
The report was published on Facebook and Rudaw.net at 11:31 AM (1:31 PM Gaza local time), confirming real-time coverage from the hospital grounds while hostages were present.
This was not an afterthought error. It was a deliberate misrepresentation.
Hospital staff also made themselves available to media. Doctors and administrative personnel provided commentary and spread narratives uncritically repeated by Western media.
These were the sources upon which much of the international press relied during the opening hours—while already broadcasting misleading reports regarding hospital events.
Whether driven by ideological alignment, fear, or coercion: what followed was not journalism, but intentional omission and distortion. The arrival of Israeli hostages in the heart of Hamas’s stronghold at Al-Shifa Hospital was among the most significant events on the morning of October 7—and it was concealed.
Until now.
Author’s Note
This is my German version of the article (translated back to English here):
„Exclusive: October 7 – The al-Shifa Hospital Hostage Convoy“
I would like to explicitly express my gratitude to David Collier for his collaboration. He greatly assisted me with his experience during the creation of this article. Unfortunately, David Collier forgot to credit me as a co-author upon publication in December 2025. This credit would have been appropriate since the entire article is primarily based on my research. I had submitted my research up to that point as a PowerPoint file containing all evidence to the ICC on November 24, 2025. I have also rephrased and supplemented certain portions for specific reasons. I would have preferred, as journalistic custom dictates, to confront those involved with my findings; however, for financial and logistical reasons, this was not feasible. Sections of the article where I felt uncertain have been marked with an asterisk * (meaning I could not verify them to 100%, but nevertheless wished not to withhold these additions from readers).
I will soon publish a sequel titled “The Photographers, the Media, and al-Shifa – How Hamas Propaganda Worked.”
This article will examine in depth what actually occurred at al-Shifa on October 7. Numerous Palestinian photographers and cameramen documented dozens of Israeli hostages being brought into Al-Shifa. Some of this footage was sold to Western media with false descriptions. Nobody noticed, and no media outlet questioned this footage. Consequently, several articles will also address the failure of Western media, particularly in Germany, in reporting on Gaza.
Wolfgang Tietze
Wolfgang Tietze | September 2026 (English Translation / Adaptation)
Foreword:
The Blind Spots of Global Reporting (November–December 2023)
In the final months of 2023, the eyes of the global public were firmly fixed on Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. While international media heavyweights—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal—reported extensively on military operations, the medical crisis, and the contradictory statements of the conflicting parties, their coverage suffered from a profound systemic flaw.
International mainstream reporting largely followed the official narratives of the information war. While The Wall Street Journal reported on Israel releasing footage intended to prove that the compound was used by armed fighters, The New York Times focused on official video releases showing tunnel infrastructure beneath the besieged hospital, and The Washington Post published open-source deep dives into military claims, these major outlets remained trapped within a narrow framework: they focused primarily on macro-level military infrastructure, tunnel allegations, and institutional statements.
What was missing from nearly all major Western reports during those critical weeks was the micro-level forensic reality of visual material produced by the actors themselves. While major newsrooms analyzed satellite coordinates and official releases, they overlooked or concealed the immediate, local choreography at the hospital gates and courtyards—including the unimpeded movement of local participants documenting the aftermath of the October 7 events.
This investigation fills that gap. It does not offer a general overview of wartime politics; rather, it provides a forensic, frame-by-frame reconstruction of the path taken by the hostages and their captors. By combining geolocation, frame-by-frame video analysis, and contemporaneous field communications, this dossier challenges the uncritical or restricted framing accepted by major global media in late 2023—and delivers the definitive documentation that was missing at the time of reporting.
Shortly after 10:40 a.m. on October 7, a large number of vehicles drove through the gates of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza. These were not ambulances, and they were not transporting wounded terrorists. They were transporting Israeli hostages.
Newly surfaced exclusive Palestinian video footage now proves that Al-Shifa Hospital served as a key Hamas command center for the transfer and distribution of abducted Israelis.
Of particular significance to this investigation are two videos that appeared only briefly on a Palestinian Telegram channel. They show abducted Israeli vehicles being driven onto the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds.
This is the first time this material has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Previously, official evidence suggested that only two or three hostages passed through Al-Shifa Hospital on October 7. The following evidence, including single-frame analysis of previously unreleased footage, shows that this figure is significantly underestimated and that the actual number was much higher.
One of the most revealing aspects of what happened at Al-Shifa is not just what occurred, but what did not occur. Although prominent journalists from Gaza were present, none reported on the arrival of the hostages. One even falsely portrayed a jeep full of captured Israeli women as „injured Palestinians“ brought in for medical treatment.
Warning: This article contains disturbing footage of hostages taken on October 7.
The Hostages from Nahal Oz
On the morning of October 7, one of the gravest failures in IDF history occurred at the Nahal Oz military base near Gaza. The base was quickly overrun by a large number of terrorists, and more than 20 soldiers were killed there—including 16 female spotters/observers.
Ten living hostages were abducted from the base—seven female observers and three members of a tank crew.
In May 2024, with the consent of the families, a longer video titled „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ regarding the female hostages prior to their abduction from Al-Shifa was released. A single-frame analysis of the entire video now shows that six hostages were forced into a single stolen IDF jeep: four female observers, all visibly alive at the time and being led to the jeep; a fifth hostage, likely also an observer, lying injured on the floor of the vehicle (presumed to be Noa Marciano*); and a sixth, a soldier who was apparently severely injured or already dead:
These single frames from the video „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023“ show how 6 Israeli hostages were loaded into a green military jeep at around 10:20 AM.
The Abduction of Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*
Not all hostages from Nahal Oz were transported in the same vehicle. Some were separated at the base and placed into different cars before being driven to Gaza. Before the six hostages were brought to Gaza in the green military jeep, another transport was already underway.
These 3 single frames from „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ show a dialogue between the terrorists. Approximate time around 10:00 AM.
This Hamas video, recorded on October 7 at around 10:00 AM at the Nahal Oz Base, shows the departure of the black jeep carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*; they are seated separately and guarded by terrorists.
These are images from a Hamas video showing the departure of the black jeep, including Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Route in Gaza
By searching dozens, if not hundreds, of Telegram channels, further clues were found, allowing part of the journey of these two vehicles to be tracked. The decisive evidentiary details captured in all the film material used here are the license plates 703-145 and 507105 of the vehicles, the 3 bullet holes in the windshield, the broken small front right headlight, the special features of the black jeep, and the accompanying terrorists and hostages.
This footage was recorded shortly after the stolen vehicle entered Gaza City. It was found on only a single Telegram channel from Nablus. In the clip, the jeep carrying the hostages from Nahal Oz drives through a narrow street in the Shuja’iyya district of Gaza. License plate 703-145 is clearly visible. Civilians cheer as the stolen jeep and other vehicles drive past. The street visible in the clip is Riyadh Street in the Shuja’iyya district. The jeep travels westward toward Rimal and the coast.
The visible landmarks allowed for an exact geolocation of the footage (geolocation credits go to “TwistyCB” on X):
Onward to Al-Shifa
Other images of the jeep allow us to track its journey further. Based on this location (geolocation credited to “TwistyCB” on X), we know this photo was taken shortly after the street scene footage. Here, the jeep is at the intersection of Baghdad Street and Salah al-Din Road, continuing westward toward the Rimal district of Gaza and the coast:
Another useful image from the same Telegram post shows the vehicle shortly before the turn—three distinct bullet holes are visible in the windshield, a telling feature allowing definitive re-identification later.
This single frame is from widely shared footage regarding Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
Naama Levy was dragged from the back of the black vehicle and pushed onto the rear seats when the black jeep stopped in Gaza City. The vehicle is a black-painted Jeep Wrangler. It is the same jeep that left the Nahal Oz Base shortly before the green jeep.
This footage was also geolocated (credits to @BenDoBrown on X), establishing that this vehicle travelled along the same route down Baghdad Street as the captured green IDF jeep carrying the other six hostages.
What is significant is not only the identity of the vehicles, but the alignment of their routes. Both vehicles move west through Gaza City toward the Rimal district—in the same direction as Al-Shifa.
Based on the geolocation of the stolen IDF vehicle turning onto Baghdad Street and the position of the Jeep Wrangler holding Naama Levy, we can definitively establish that these locations were only 160 meters apart.
This proves that at least two separate vehicles carrying hostages abducted from the same base were traveling on parallel routes to the same destination within the same time window.
Based on the reconstructed route taken by the „Nahal Oz convoy“ toward the Hamas stronghold of Rimal, the vehicles passed another fully functional hospital along the way—refuting any credible claim that this trip was about providing urgent medical care. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was operating normally on October 7, is significantly closer to Nahal Oz, and borders the route through Gaza City.
As these vehicles continued driving, Al-Ahli Hospital was only one or two minutes away:
However, the terrorists did not stop there. Instead, they drove past Al-Ahli and continued westward toward Al-Shifa, situated in the heart of the Rimal district where the Hamas stronghold was located.
The Target: The Hamas Headquarters at Al-Shifa
While much of the footage from October 7 was widely shared, a portion of critical material remained inaccessible. The following Video 01 is one of two clips identified by experienced German journalist Wolfgang Tietze, who worked for Spiegel TV / Der Spiegel from 1990 to 2003.
Both videos were later removed, and the account that uploaded them was deleted. They had been posted with download functions disabled. Wolfgang Tietze recognized their significance and recorded the footage directly from his screen. These two videos form the core of this research—together with his detailed findings and additional context. Part of this material can still be found on Palestinian Telegram channels.
This is the first time this footage has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Video 01 was recorded on the morning of October 7 outside the gates of Al-Shifa Hospital.
As the Israeli military jeep drives onto the hospital grounds, license plate 703-145 is visible for a brief moment, confirming once again that the exact same jeep that left Nahal Oz with Israeli hostages was present at Al-Shifa.
The arrival is greeted by cheering crowds. Armed terrorists jump out of the vehicle and surround it to guard the hostages. More vehicles arrive. The footage shows a chilling contrast: outside, an enthusiastic crowd cheers while armed terrorists emerge to protect their loot; inside the vehicle, Israeli hostages suffer terror, violence, and utter helplessness.
Single frames from Video 01 of the now-deleted Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Young and old civilians, hospital support staff, hospital onlookers, plainclothes terrorists stepping out of the crowd, and armed terrorists rushing over are all recognizable. They all know what is happening at Shifa Hospital that morning and what significance this location holds for Hamas.
The following video, showing four female hostages, was most likely recorded on the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds and shows the vehicle surrounded by a noisy crowd. It was uploaded to numerous Palestinian Telegram channels on October 7:
Video from a spectator on the Al-Shifa grounds, 4 female hostages are clearly visible.
Al-Shifa hospital features are clearly identifiable
Single frames from this video** show features of the hospital grounds. An ambulance** parked parallel to the jeep is somewhat clearer. The abducted women can be seen in jeep 703-145 at timestamp 0:05.
Thanks to later IDF disclosures, we can now assign an exact timestamp to this moment.
IDF CCTV Footage
On November 19, 2023, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari held a press conference presenting still images from CCTV footage showing what he described as „stolen IDF vehicles“ entering Al-Shifa. The IDF discovered these recordings on a laptop during searches of Shifa Hospital. They show the same vehicles seen in the unique Palestinian Video 01 from October 7. The IDF image shows vehicles from inside the Al-Shifa grounds; the 3 images below show them from street level.
Comparison of CCTV capture with single frames from Video 01 of Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Based on this match, the arrival of the military jeep from Nahal Oz Base at Al-Shifa can be dated to 10:53 AM on the morning of October 7—half an hour after the vehicles left Nahal Oz Base.
Given the crowd’s attention, celebrations, and armed terrorists guarding the vehicle, it is clear that hostages were inside at that moment.
Another Vehicle with Hostages at Al-Shifa: The Jeep Wrangler
Another vehicle of interest arrived at Al-Shifa beforehand: the black Jeep Wrangler localized near Baghdad Street, matching the vehicle in which Naama Levy and Ori Megidish* were transported after abduction.
At 11:30 AM Gaza local time, footage of this vehicle was already circulating on Telegram. The location shown is unmistakably the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds:
Knowing that the captured green IDF jeep with Nahal Oz hostages drove to Al-Shifa, the appearance of another vehicle carrying hostages at the hospital within the same timeframe is unsurprising.
Furthermore, as in the other videos, the bystanders‘ behavior is telling. Their concentrated focus on the vehicle and attempts to identify the occupants align with the arrival of another hostage vehicle—very likely the one carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Hamas Command and Distribution Center
A second piece of deleted footage, Video 02, recorded by the same person on the access road to Al-Shifa Hospital, reinforces the picture of Al-Shifa as a major Hamas operations center on the morning of October 7.
This second clip again shows a stolen IDF vehicle and civilian cars driving onto hospital grounds.
A previously undiscovered photo by a well-known Palestinian photographer proves these vehicles drove directly onto the Al-Shifa grounds.
Photo by a well-known Gaza photographer – Vehicles carrying hostages parked near the red-roofed pavilion on the Shifa grounds
Visible evidence (see circular highlight) indicates hostages were inside these vehicles. Frame-by-frame analysis suggests this conclusion. Furthermore, multiple hostages are recognizable in single frames across the Al-Shifa compound.
Photo by a well-known Gaza photographer – The stolen Israeli military jeep 703-145 on the Al-Shifa grounds
The arrival of the military jeep—alongside other stolen military vehicles converging in a narrow window at the same location—is significant. Yet most notable is the behavior of the many Palestinians present.
The scale of incoming vehicles cannot be overlooked. Evidence shows multiple stolen IDF vehicles and additional cars arriving in Al-Shifa within minutes, greeted by a large, cheering crowd. In total, approximately 16 different vehicles (incl. motorcycle) can be identified. Dozens of hostages must have been transported into Al-Shifa.
The IDF later released additional CCTV material showing another stolen IDF jeep arriving at Al-Shifa as early as 10:42 AM—just eleven minutes before the vehicle known to carry hostages arrived at 10:53 AM.
Evidence also shows dozens of armed fighters present at the hospital at this time. Together, these procedures place Al-Shifa at the center of events—serving as a command, meeting, and distribution point within Hamas’s operational network that morning.
CCTV footage released by the IDF on November 19, 2023, from inside Al-Shifa
In addition to vehicles and hostages already documented, several further examples confirm Al-Shifa’s central role in capturing and transporting hostages.
We know Noa Marciano was held near Al-Shifa before being brought back there and brutally murdered by a „health professional“.
We also know Ori Megidish was rescued from a nearby location.
Beyond these examples, footage shows another murdered Israeli hostage, likely Ran Gvili* (per @NoaMagid on X), transported on a motorcycle by a terrorist from Kibbuz Alumim to Gaza and driven onto the Al-Shifa grounds around noon, where his arrival was greeted by a cheering crowd.
Terrorist transporting the body of Ran Gvili
The first picture shows the terrorist somewhere in Gaza, taking a different route than the jeeps from Nahal Oz Base. The second image shows him with Ran Gvili’s body approaching the Al-Shifa entrance (single frame from video by a cameraman later working for ARD and BBC). The third photo shows this terrorist at the Al-Shifa entrance.
Together, these pictures confirm the pattern emerging from the two video recordings, depicting Al-Shifa not merely as a transit point, but as a site where hostage-taking, detentions, and consequences repeatedly intersect.
Even leaving aside hostages abducted from other locations—such as Yehudit Weiss from Kibbutz Beeri, whose body was later found near Al-Shifa—the pattern emerging from Nahal Oz alone is striking. The destination is always Al-Shifa.
And the question arises: How many hostages were actually brought to Al-Shifa by Hamas and other terrorists on October 7—20, 40, 60? These two important videos capture merely 80 to 90 seconds of events. Together with other videos and pictures by up to five unknown photographers, further details emerge hinting at what truly transpired on the Al-Shifa grounds.
Another previously unknown video shows the same three vehicles previously parked near the red pavilion on the Al-Shifa grounds continuing onward into Rimal after exiting via Ez-Eldine Al-Qussam Street. This video was also found on a Palestinian cameraman’s social media account. Here we see a photo from a WSJ article; the photographer is Mohammed Talatene of DPA. This photo shows the identical stolen jeep from the unknown video
Hit and Run
Shortly after October 7, Hamas published pictures and videos of four young women from Nahal Oz to show: Look, we have the hostages, they are safe and being cared for.
Previous material does not clearly show what happened to the hostages on the Al-Shifa grounds.
One plausible explanation is that hostages were quickly moved further—potentially into the tunnel network beneath or near the hospital—and distributed elsewhere.
A newly discovered photo makes another explanation likely: An ambulance briefly parked next to the jeep carrying the young women (visible in blurry video** across some single frames). Were these women transferred into that ambulance? Shortly after, the ambulance was gone. Did it take them to their guards‘ apartment?
Screenshot of a photo by a well-known Gaza photographer
This interpretation is supported by footage uploaded less than half an hour after the transports arrived, showing the stolen IDF jeep leaving Al-Shifa. At that point, it remains unclear whether hostages were still inside.
A video by a well-known Gaza cameraman shows the stolen jeep 703-145 leaving Al-Shifa
There is no plausible reason hostages would still be inside. The terrorists drive the jeep back in the same direction—possibly to bring more hostages to Al-Shifa. The hospital was part of Hamas’s command structure that morning. Hamas terrorists moved freely inside and out. If hostages were no longer in the vehicle, who took them into custody on the grounds if not an operational unit already stationed there? One thing is certain: Al-Shifa was a central Hamas organization hub on October 7. A newly surfaced photo further suggests the jeep actually made the return trip empty.
Photo by a well-known Palestinian journalist from Gaza: Close-up of stolen military jeep 703-145, terrorists clearly visible
The Journalists, the Doctors, and Deliberate Deception
For over two years, many international media outlets, especially in Germany, downplayed Al-Shifa’s role in Hamas operations and disputed Israeli claims that the hospital served as more than a civilian medical facility.
The events of October 7 tell a different story.
When these events unfolded, at least 11 journalists from Gaza were present at Al-Shifa Hospital. Cameras were rolling. Live reports broadcasted from the complex all morning and into the afternoon.
Satellite broadcast truck placed directly outside Al-Shifa in the morning
Yet despite the arrival of stolen military vehicles, armed terrorists, civilian cars carrying hostages, and cheering crowds, not a single journalist reported on the arrival of Israeli hostages at the hospital.
ARD’s Gaza contributor, Mohammad Abu Saif, posted photos of his friends in Gaza on his Instagram account (more on that in the article on „Contributors from Gaza“). His friends include one of the photographers who photographed hostage transfers into Al-Shifa on October 7.
Screenshot from an ARD broadcast dated January 24, 2024
Here we see him alongside photographers Mohammed Talatene (DPA, left) and Mohannad Al Katheeb (right). Al Katheeb was held in deportation custody; he faces allegations of Hamas links and participation on October 7.
Neither this Gaza-based ARD contributor nor the ARD studio in Tel Aviv reported on the October 7 occurrences.
Another example is especially egregious. A series of photos published by Kurdish television station Rudaw and its website—shot by journalist Mohammed Salem—bear the caption: „Continuous transport of wounded Palestinians to the Shifa Medical Complex.“
Continuous transport of wounded Palestinians to the Shifa Medical Complex.
Single frame from a live report by Rudaw reporter Salim from the Al-Shifa grounds, 1:31 PM
The three distinct bullet holes in the windshield leave no doubt that this is the same jeep that transported hostages from Nahal Oz. The journalists present could see the crowds, celebrating throngs, and armed terrorists, knowing precisely what was happening.
The report was published on Facebook and Rudaw.net at 11:31 AM (1:31 PM Gaza local time), confirming real-time coverage from the hospital grounds while hostages were present.
This was not an afterthought error. It was a deliberate misrepresentation.
Hospital staff also made themselves available to media. Doctors and administrative personnel provided commentary and spread narratives uncritically repeated by Western media.
These were the sources upon which much of the international press relied during the opening hours—while already broadcasting misleading reports regarding hospital events.
Whether driven by ideological alignment, fear, or coercion: what followed was not journalism, but intentional omission and distortion. The arrival of Israeli hostages in the heart of Hamas’s stronghold at Al-Shifa Hospital was among the most significant events on the morning of October 7—and it was concealed.
Until now.
Author’s Note
This is my German version of the article (translated back to English here):
„Exclusive: October 7 – The al-Shifa Hospital Hostage Convoy“
I would like to explicitly express my gratitude to David Collier for his collaboration. He greatly assisted me with his experience during the creation of this article. Unfortunately, David Collier forgot to credit me as a co-author upon publication in December 2025. This credit would have been appropriate since the entire article is primarily based on my research. I had submitted my research up to that point as a PowerPoint file containing all evidence to the ICC on November 24, 2025. I have also rephrased and supplemented certain portions for specific reasons. I would have preferred, as journalistic custom dictates, to confront those involved with my findings; however, for financial and logistical reasons, this was not feasible. Sections of the article where I felt uncertain have been marked with an asterisk * (meaning I could not verify them to 100%, but nevertheless wished not to withhold these additions from readers).
I will soon publish a sequel titled “The Photographers, the Media, and Al-Shifa – How Hamas Propaganda Worked.”
This article will examine in depth what actually occurred at Al-Shifa on October 7. Numerous Palestinian photographers and cameramen documented dozens of Israeli hostages being brought into Al-Shifa. Some of this footage was sold to Western media with false descriptions. Nobody noticed, and no media outlet questioned this footage. Consequently, several articles will also address the failure of Western media, particularly in Germany, in reporting on Gaza.
Wolfgang Tietze
Wolfgang Tietze | September 2026 (English Translation / Adaptation)
Foreword:
The Blind Spots of Global Reporting (November–December 2023)
In the final months of 2023, the eyes of the global public were firmly fixed on Al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip. While international media heavyweights—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal—reported extensively on military operations, the medical crisis, and the contradictory statements of the conflicting parties, their coverage suffered from a profound systemic flaw.
International mainstream reporting largely followed the official narratives of the information war. While The Wall Street Journal reported on Israel releasing footage intended to prove that the compound was used by armed fighters, The New York Times focused on official video releases showing tunnel infrastructure beneath the besieged hospital, and The Washington Post published open-source deep dives into military claims, these major outlets remained trapped within a narrow framework: they focused primarily on macro-level military infrastructure, tunnel allegations, and institutional statements.
What was missing from nearly all major Western reports during those critical weeks was the micro-level forensic reality of visual material produced by the actors themselves. While major newsrooms analyzed satellite coordinates and official releases, they overlooked or concealed the immediate, local choreography at the hospital gates and courtyards—including the unimpeded movement of local participants documenting the aftermath of the October 7 events.
This investigation fills that gap. It does not offer a general overview of wartime politics; rather, it provides a forensic, frame-by-frame reconstruction of the path taken by the hostages and their captors. By combining geolocation, frame-by-frame video analysis, and contemporaneous field communications, this dossier challenges the uncritical or restricted framing accepted by major global media in late 2023—and delivers the definitive documentation that was missing at the time of reporting.
Shortly after 10:40 a.m. on October 7, a large number of vehicles drove through the gates of Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza. These were not ambulances, and they were not transporting wounded terrorists. They were transporting Israeli hostages.
Newly surfaced exclusive Palestinian video footage now proves that Al-Shifa Hospital served as a key Hamas command center for the transfer and distribution of abducted Israelis.
Of particular significance to this investigation are two videos that appeared only briefly on a Palestinian Telegram channel. They show abducted Israeli vehicles being driven onto the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds.
This is the first time this material has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Previously, official evidence suggested that only two or three hostages passed through Al-Shifa Hospital on October 7. The following evidence, including single-frame analysis of previously unreleased footage, shows that this figure is significantly underestimated and that the actual number was much higher.
One of the most revealing aspects of what happened at Al-Shifa is not just what occurred, but what did not occur. Although prominent journalists from Gaza were present, none reported on the arrival of the hostages. One even falsely portrayed a jeep full of captured Israeli women as „injured Palestinians“ brought in for medical treatment.
Warning: This article contains disturbing footage of hostages taken on October 7.
The Hostages from Nahal Oz
On the morning of October 7, one of the gravest failures in IDF history occurred at the Nahal Oz military base near Gaza. The base was quickly overrun by a large number of terrorists, and more than 20 soldiers were killed there—including 16 female spotters/observers.
Ten living hostages were abducted from the base—seven female observers and three members of a tank crew.
In May 2024, with the consent of the families, a longer video titled „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ regarding the female hostages prior to their abduction from Al-Shifa was released. A single-frame analysis of the entire video now shows that six hostages were forced into a single stolen IDF jeep: four female observers, all visibly alive at the time and being led to the jeep; a fifth hostage, likely also an observer, lying injured on the floor of the vehicle (presumed to be Noa Marciano*); and a sixth, a soldier who was apparently severely injured or already dead:
These single frames from the video „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023“ show how 6 Israeli hostages were loaded into a green military jeep at around 10:20 AM.
The Abduction of Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*
Not all hostages from Nahal Oz were transported in the same vehicle. Some were separated at the base and placed into different cars before being driven to Gaza. Before the six hostages were brought to Gaza in the green military jeep, another transport was already underway.
These 3 single frames from „Nahal Oz Military Base, October 7, 2023, around 9:00 AM“ show a dialogue between the terrorists. Approximate time around 10:00 AM.
This Hamas video, recorded on October 7 at around 10:00 AM at the Nahal Oz Base, shows the departure of the black jeep carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*; they are seated separately and guarded by terrorists.
These are images from a Hamas video showing the departure of the black jeep, including Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Route in Gaza
By searching dozens, if not hundreds, of Telegram channels, further clues were found, allowing part of the journey of these two vehicles to be tracked. The decisive evidentiary details captured in all the film material used here are the license plates 703-145 and 507105 of the vehicles, the 3 bullet holes in the windshield, the broken small front right headlight, the special features of the black jeep, and the accompanying terrorists and hostages.
This footage was recorded shortly after the stolen vehicle entered Gaza City. It was found on only a single Telegram channel from Nablus. In the clip, the jeep carrying the hostages from Nahal Oz drives through a narrow street in the Shuja’iyya district of Gaza. License plate 703-145 is clearly visible. Civilians cheer as the stolen jeep and other vehicles drive past. The street visible in the clip is Riyadh Street in the Shuja’iyya district. The jeep travels westward toward Rimal and the coast.
The visible landmarks allowed for an exact geolocation of the footage (geolocation credits go to “TwistyCB” on X):
Onward to Al-Shifa
Other images of the jeep allow us to track its journey further. Based on this location (geolocation credited to “TwistyCB” on X), we know this photo was taken shortly after the street scene footage. Here, the jeep is at the intersection of Baghdad Street and Salah al-Din Road, continuing westward toward the Rimal district of Gaza and the coast:
Another useful image from the same Telegram post shows the vehicle shortly before the turn—three distinct bullet holes are visible in the windshield, a telling feature allowing definitive re-identification later.
This single frame is from widely shared footage regarding Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
Naama Levy was dragged from the back of the black vehicle and pushed onto the rear seats when the black jeep stopped in Gaza City. The vehicle is a black-painted Jeep Wrangler. It is the same jeep that left the Nahal Oz Base shortly before the green jeep.
This footage was also geolocated (credits to @BenDoBrown on X), establishing that this vehicle travelled along the same route down Baghdad Street as the captured green IDF jeep carrying the other six hostages.
What is significant is not only the identity of the vehicles, but the alignment of their routes. Both vehicles move west through Gaza City toward the Rimal district—in the same direction as Al-Shifa.
Based on the geolocation of the stolen IDF vehicle turning onto Baghdad Street and the position of the Jeep Wrangler holding Naama Levy, we can definitively establish that these locations were only 160 meters apart.
This proves that at least two separate vehicles carrying hostages abducted from the same base were traveling on parallel routes to the same destination within the same time window.
Based on the reconstructed route taken by the „Nahal Oz convoy“ toward the Hamas stronghold of Rimal, the vehicles passed another fully functional hospital along the way—refuting any credible claim that this trip was about providing urgent medical care. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was operating normally on October 7, is significantly closer to Nahal Oz, and borders the route through Gaza City.
As these vehicles continued driving, Al-Ahli Hospital was only one or two minutes away:
However, the terrorists did not stop there. Instead, they drove past Al-Ahli and continued westward toward Al-Shifa, situated in the heart of the Rimal district where the Hamas stronghold was located.
The Target: The Hamas Headquarters at Al-Shifa
While much of the footage from October 7 was widely shared, a portion of critical material remained inaccessible. The following Video 01 is one of two clips identified by experienced German journalist Wolfgang Tietze, who worked for Spiegel TV / Der Spiegel from 1990 to 2003.
Both videos were later removed, and the account that uploaded them was deleted. They had been posted with download functions disabled. Wolfgang Tietze recognized their significance and recorded the footage directly from his screen. These two videos form the core of this research—together with his detailed findings and additional context. Part of this material can still be found on Palestinian Telegram channels.
This is the first time this footage has been publicly presented in this form and properly analyzed.
Video 01 was recorded on the morning of October 7 outside the gates of Al-Shifa Hospital.
As the Israeli military jeep drives onto the hospital grounds, license plate 703-145 is visible for a brief moment, confirming once again that the exact same jeep that left Nahal Oz with Israeli hostages was present at Al-Shifa.
The arrival is greeted by cheering crowds. Armed terrorists jump out of the vehicle and surround it to guard the hostages. More vehicles arrive. The footage shows a chilling contrast: outside, an enthusiastic crowd cheers while armed terrorists emerge to protect their loot; inside the vehicle, Israeli hostages suffer terror, violence, and utter helplessness.
Single frames from Video 01 of the now-deleted Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Young and old civilians, hospital support staff, hospital onlookers, plainclothes terrorists stepping out of the crowd, and armed terrorists rushing over are all recognizable. They all know what is happening at Shifa Hospital that morning and what significance this location holds for Hamas.
The following video, showing four female hostages, was most likely recorded on the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds and shows the vehicle surrounded by a noisy crowd. It was uploaded to numerous Palestinian Telegram channels on October 7:
Video from a spectator on the Al-Shifa grounds, 4 female hostages are clearly visible.
Al-Shifa hospital features are clearly identifiable
Single frames from this video** show features of the hospital grounds. An ambulance** parked parallel to the jeep is somewhat clearer. The abducted women can be seen in jeep 703-145 at timestamp 0:05.
Thanks to later IDF disclosures, we can now assign an exact timestamp to this moment.
IDF CCTV Footage
On November 19, 2023, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari held a press conference presenting still images from CCTV footage showing what he described as „stolen IDF vehicles“ entering Al-Shifa. The IDF discovered these recordings on a laptop during searches of Shifa Hospital. They show the same vehicles seen in the unique Palestinian Video 01 from October 7. The IDF image shows vehicles from inside the Al-Shifa grounds; the 3 images below show them from street level.
Comparison of CCTV capture with single frames from Video 01 of Telegram channel „gaza_under_bombardement“
Based on this match, the arrival of the military jeep from Nahal Oz Base at Al-Shifa can be dated to 10:53 AM on the morning of October 7—half an hour after the vehicles left Nahal Oz Base.
Given the crowd’s attention, celebrations, and armed terrorists guarding the vehicle, it is clear that hostages were inside at that moment.
Another Vehicle with Hostages at Al-Shifa: The Jeep Wrangler
Another vehicle of interest arrived at Al-Shifa beforehand: the black Jeep Wrangler localized near Baghdad Street, matching the vehicle in which Naama Levy and Ori Megidish* were transported after abduction.
At 11:30 AM Gaza local time, footage of this vehicle was already circulating on Telegram. The location shown is unmistakably the Al-Shifa Hospital grounds:
Knowing that the captured green IDF jeep with Nahal Oz hostages drove to Al-Shifa, the appearance of another vehicle carrying hostages at the hospital within the same timeframe is unsurprising.
Furthermore, as in the other videos, the bystanders‘ behavior is telling. Their concentrated focus on the vehicle and attempts to identify the occupants align with the arrival of another hostage vehicle—very likely the one carrying Naama Levy and Ori Megidish*.
The Hamas Command and Distribution Center
A second piece of deleted footage, Video 02, recorded by the same person on the access road to Al-Shifa Hospital, reinforces the picture of Al-Shifa as a major Hamas operations center on the morning of October 7.
This second clip again shows a stolen IDF vehicle and civilian cars driving onto hospital grounds.
A previously undiscovered photo by a well-known Palestinian photographer proves these vehicles drove directly onto the Al-Shifa grounds.
Photo by a well-known Gaza photographer – Vehicles carrying hostages parked near the red-roofed pavilion on the Shifa grounds
Visible evidence (see circular highlight) indicates hostages were inside these vehicles. Frame-by-frame analysis suggests this conclusion. Furthermore, multiple hostages are recognizable in single frames across the Al-Shifa compound.
Photo by a well-known Gaza photographer – The stolen Israeli military jeep 703-145 on the Al-Shifa grounds
The arrival of the military jeep—alongside other stolen military vehicles converging in a narrow window at the same location—is significant. Yet most notable is the behavior of the many Palestinians present.
The scale of incoming vehicles cannot be overlooked. Evidence shows multiple stolen IDF vehicles and additional cars arriving in Al-Shifa within minutes, greeted by a large, cheering crowd. In total, approximately 16 different vehicles (incl. motorcycle) can be identified. Dozens of hostages must have been transported into Al-Shifa.
The IDF later released additional CCTV material showing another stolen IDF jeep arriving at Al-Shifa as early as 10:42 AM—just eleven minutes before the vehicle known to carry hostages arrived at 10:53 AM.
Evidence also shows dozens of armed fighters present at the hospital at this time. Together, these procedures place Al-Shifa at the center of events—serving as a command, meeting, and distribution point within Hamas’s operational network that morning.
CCTV footage released by the IDF on November 19, 2023, from inside Al-Shifa
In addition to vehicles and hostages already documented, several further examples confirm Al-Shifa’s central role in capturing and transporting hostages.
We know Noa Marciano was held near Al-Shifa before being brought back there and brutally murdered by a „health professional“.
We also know Ori Megidish was rescued from a nearby location.
Beyond these examples, footage shows another murdered Israeli hostage, likely Ran Gvili* (per @NoaMagid on X), transported on a motorcycle by a terrorist from Kibbuz Alumim to Gaza and driven onto the Al-Shifa grounds around noon, where his arrival was greeted by a cheering crowd.
Terrorist transporting the body of Ran Gvili
The first picture shows the terrorist somewhere in Gaza, taking a different route than the jeeps from Nahal Oz Base. The second image shows him with Ran Gvili’s body approaching the Al-Shifa entrance (single frame from video by a cameraman later working for ARD and BBC). The third photo shows this terrorist at the Al-Shifa entrance.
Together, these pictures confirm the pattern emerging from the two video recordings, depicting Al-Shifa not merely as a transit point, but as a site where hostage-taking, detentions, and consequences repeatedly intersect.
Even leaving aside hostages abducted from other locations—such as Yehudit Weiss from Kibbutz Beeri, whose body was later found near Al-Shifa—the pattern emerging from Nahal Oz alone is striking. The destination is always Al-Shifa.
And the question arises: How many hostages were actually brought to Al-Shifa by Hamas and other terrorists on October 7—20, 40, 60? These two important videos capture merely 80 to 90 seconds of events. Together with other videos and pictures by up to five unknown photographers, further details emerge hinting at what truly transpired on the Al-Shifa grounds.
Another previously unknown video shows the same three vehicles previously parked near the red pavilion on the Al-Shifa grounds continuing onward into Rimal after exiting via Ez-Eldine Al-Qussam Street. This video was also found on a Palestinian cameraman’s social media account. Here we see a photo from a WSJ article; the photographer is Mohammed Talatene of DPA. This photo shows the identical stolen jeep from the unknown video
Hit and Run
Shortly after October 7, Hamas published pictures and videos of four young women from Nahal Oz to show: Look, we have the hostages, they are safe and being cared for.
Previous material does not clearly show what happened to the hostages on the Al-Shifa grounds.
One plausible explanation is that hostages were quickly moved further—potentially into the tunnel network beneath or near the hospital—and distributed elsewhere.
A newly discovered photo makes another explanation likely: An ambulance briefly parked next to the jeep carrying the young women (visible in blurry video** across some single frames). Were these women transferred into that ambulance? Shortly after, the ambulance was gone. Did it take them to their guards‘ apartment?
Screenshot of a photo by a well-known Gaza photographer
This interpretation is supported by footage uploaded less than half an hour after the transports arrived, showing the stolen IDF jeep leaving Al-Shifa. At that point, it remains unclear whether hostages were still inside.
A video by a well-known Gaza cameraman shows the stolen jeep 703-145 leaving Al-Shifa
There is no plausible reason hostages would still be inside. The terrorists drive the jeep back in the same direction—possibly to bring more hostages to Al-Shifa. The hospital was part of Hamas’s command structure that morning. Hamas terrorists moved freely inside and out. If hostages were no longer in the vehicle, who took them into custody on the grounds if not an operational unit already stationed there? One thing is certain: Al-Shifa was a central Hamas organization hub on October 7. A newly surfaced photo further suggests the jeep actually made the return trip empty.
Photo by a well-known Palestinian journalist from Gaza: Close-up of stolen military jeep 703-145, terrorists clearly visible
The Journalists, the Doctors, and Deliberate Deception
For over two years, many international media outlets, especially in Germany, downplayed Al-Shifa’s role in Hamas operations and disputed Israeli claims that the hospital served as more than a civilian medical facility.
The events of October 7 tell a different story.
When these events unfolded, at least 11 journalists from Gaza were present at Al-Shifa Hospital. Cameras were rolling. Live reports broadcasted from the complex all morning and into the afternoon.
Satellite broadcast truck placed directly outside Al-Shifa in the morning
Yet despite the arrival of stolen military vehicles, armed terrorists, civilian cars carrying hostages, and cheering crowds, not a single journalist reported on the arrival of Israeli hostages at the hospital.
ARD’s Gaza contributor, Mohammad Abu Saif, posted photos of his friends in Gaza on his Instagram account (more on that in the article on „Contributors from Gaza“). His friends include one of the photographers who photographed hostage transfers into Al-Shifa on October 7.
Screenshot from an ARD broadcast dated January 24, 2024
Here we see him alongside photographers Mohammed Talatene (DPA, left) and Mohannad Al Katheeb (right). Al Katheeb was held in deportation custody; he faces allegations of Hamas links and participation on October 7.
Neither this Gaza-based ARD contributor nor the ARD studio in Tel Aviv reported on the October 7 occurrences.
Another example is especially egregious. A series of photos published by Kurdish television station Rudaw and its website—shot by journalist Mohammed Salem—bear the caption: „Continuous transport of wounded Palestinians to the Shifa Medical Complex.“
Continuous transport of wounded Palestinians to the Shifa Medical Complex.
Single frame from a live report by Rudaw reporter Salim from the Al-Shifa grounds, 1:31 PM
The three distinct bullet holes in the windshield leave no doubt that this is the same jeep that transported hostages from Nahal Oz. The journalists present could see the crowds, celebrating throngs, and armed terrorists, knowing precisely what was happening.
The report was published on Facebook and Rudaw.net at 11:31 AM (1:31 PM Gaza local time), confirming real-time coverage from the hospital grounds while hostages were present.
This was not an afterthought error. It was a deliberate misrepresentation.
Hospital staff also made themselves available to media. Doctors and administrative personnel provided commentary and spread narratives uncritically repeated by Western media.
These were the sources upon which much of the international press relied during the opening hours—while already broadcasting misleading reports regarding hospital events.
Whether driven by ideological alignment, fear, or coercion: what followed was not journalism, but intentional omission and distortion. The arrival of Israeli hostages in the heart of Hamas’s stronghold at Al-Shifa Hospital was among the most significant events on the morning of October 7—and it was concealed.
Until now.
Author’s Note
This is my German version of the article (translated back to English here):
„Exclusive: October 7 – The al-Shifa Hospital Hostage Convoy“
I would like to explicitly express my gratitude to David Collier for his collaboration. He greatly assisted me with his experience during the creation of this article. Unfortunately, David Collier forgot to credit me as a co-author upon publication in December 2025. This credit would have been appropriate since the entire article is primarily based on my research. I had submitted my research up to that point as a PowerPoint file containing all evidence to the ICC on November 24, 2025. I have also rephrased and supplemented certain portions for specific reasons. I would have preferred, as journalistic custom dictates, to confront those involved with my findings; however, for financial and logistical reasons, this was not feasible. Sections of the article where I felt uncertain have been marked with an asterisk * (meaning I could not verify them to 100%, but nevertheless wished not to withhold these additions from readers).
I will soon publish a sequel titled “Witnesses to a War Crime: 12 Palestinian ‚Journalists‘ Stayed Silent for Hamas”
This article will examine in depth what actually occurred at al-Shifa on October 7. Numerous Palestinian photographers and cameramen documented dozens of Israeli hostages being brought into al-Shifa. Some of this footage was sold to Western media with false descriptions. Nobody noticed, and no media outlet questioned this footage. Consequently, several articles will also address the failure of Western media, particularly in Germany, in reporting on Gaza.
Wolfgang Tietze