BEIRUT, November 15. /TASS/. Israeli servicemen discovered no hostages, taken by Hamas on October 7, during searches of the al-Shifa Hospital, Sky News Arabia reported, citing Israeli sources.

According to Sky News, Israeli special forces searched every inch of the hospital and questioned several doctors, medical personnel and internally displaced persons.

Currently, the Israeli forces are asking that everyone currently residing in the surrounded hospital gather in the east courtyard to prepare for evacuation, the TV channel says.

According to the Hamas government press office, there are almost 9,000 people inside the hospital, including patients and the injured.

Previously, Israel’s Radio Kan announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held off on agreeing to exchange a group of civilians for Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons to roll the dice with the assault on the al-Shifa hospital. According to Radio Kan, Netanyahu’s expectations that Israeli forces would find hostages there did not materialize.

According to the IDF, there are at least 242 military and civilian persons currently being held captive in the Gaza Strip. They are being held not only by Hamas, but by other radical groups, including Islamic Jihad. Negotiations on the release of hostages and captives are underway with mediation from Qatar, with additional mediation efforts exerted by Egypt, Turkey and Lebanon.