Residents of densely populated Gaza camp shocked to learn neighbors are being held hostage

In a Wall Street Journal article, residents of the Nuseirat camp expressed astonishment that Abdullah Aljamal and his father Ahmad were the ones holding the three hostages.

Ahmad Aljamal was a well-known figure in the community. He worked as a doctor at a public clinic in Nuseirat camp and ran his own private clinic in the afternoons, where residents came for private procedures such as circumcisions. Aljamal Sr. was also an imam in the local mosque and, according to locals, had a pleasant voice.

It was revealed that Aljamal returned daily to the apartment he shared with his son, daughter-in-law and their children, where Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv and Almog Meir Jan were detained.

The Aljamals were known for their affiliation with Hamas, according to residents who spoke to the Journal. However, only a select few knew that the hostages were being held inside the house. The hostages said they could hear Abdallah, his wife and their children going about their daily lives while confined in the small, dark room.

According to one of his neighbors, Ahmad Aljamal acted as usual during the ongoing war. He went to his clinics, attended the mosque and did his shopping. His son, Abdallah, was seen less frequently.

“It was Dr Ahmad who circumcised my three boys,” Ali Bkhit, a social media consultant from Nuseirat, told the newspaper. “When I dealt with him, he was a likeable character; his smile never left his face.”

Bkhit said he grew up listening to Aljamal’s voice in the mosque and was surprised to learn that the family, originally from Ramla in central Israel, was responsible for the detention of hostages. He did not expect that Aljamals would be involved in the war in any way.

During the rescue operation, Abdallah, his father Ahmad and his wife Fatima were killed. Abdallah and Fatima’s children survived, but the family refused to cooperate or speak with the Journal.

The Abu Nars were also killed during the Argamani rescue operation, carried out by forces of the Border Police’s National Anti-Terrorism Unit (Yamam) who stormed the building. Residents added that the Abu Nars were considered much less well-known in the neighborhood than the Aljamals.

What has kept Nuseirat residents busy since the operation, which included airstrikes and close-quarters clashes in the camp’s crowded streets, is Hamas’s decision to hold the hostages in an above-ground apartment in a busy civilian area.

Some residents expressed surprise upon learning that the hostages were being held above ground, as it is usually very difficult to keep secrets in such a densely populated neighborhood. Even a cough, according to residents, can be heard between the walls of the buildings.

Other residents were furious that Hamas had endangered countless civilians, as any Israeli action on the crowded streets could result in large numbers of casualties.

Some Nuseirat residents said Hamas should hold the hostages in underground tunnels, while others suggested they should be returned to Israel as part of a deal to end the war. According to the Journal, the difficulties of the negotiations are causing growing frustration among residents of the Palestinian territory.

One resident went so far as to ask Hamas to provide residents with a map of safe areas to stay. “Hamas should give us a map of the safe areas where we can stay, because if we had known there were hostages in the neighborhood, we would have looked for another place,” said Mustafa Muhammad, 36, who left Gaza for Nuseirat at the beginning. from the war with his wife and young daughter. When the hostage rescue operation began, Mohammed and his family, according to the report, found themselves trapped – with no idea where to go.

Last week, the president of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory, Ramy Abdu, claimed that testimonies from the rescue operation indicated that the forces that entered the building used a ladder to gain entry. in Aljamal’s residence.

“The forces eliminated Fatima on the stairs, then entered the house and killed her husband, journalist Abdullah al-Jamal, 36, and her father Ahmad, 74, in front of their grandchildren. The army also shot Zaynab, 27, Ahmad’s daughter, injuring her,” Abdu said.

Aljamal’s Facebook page also revealed that he worked as a spokesperson for Hamas’ Ministry of Labor. On October 7, he published a message thanking Hamas. “Praise be to Allah. Allah, this is your promised victory.”