The Israeli army has said its forces had taken into custody more than 20 people suspected of involvement in the October 7 attack during a raid on a Gaza hospital, AFP reports.

“The troops located weapons inside the hospital and apprehended dozens of terror suspects, including over 20 terrorists who participated in the October 7th massacre,” the army said in a statement.

The military operation was still ongoing at the Nasser hospital in the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis, it said.

“The activity is based on IDF (army) intelligence indicating that Hamas terrorist activity is being carried out from within the hospital,” it said.

“Hamas has previously used the hospital as a launch pad to fire mortar shells, including during a Hamas attack last month, which was revealed in IDF radar imagery,” it said without giving other details.

During the raid, the Israeli army said its forces found mortar shells, grenades and additional weapons belonging to Hamas.

The army launched the operation at the hospital on Thursday, saying it had information suggesting hostages seized by Gaza militants in the October 7 attack that sparked the war had been held at the facility, and that bodies of some of the captives may still be inside.

But later on Thursday the army said it had “not yet found any evidence of this”.