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Israeli troops are continuing their operation at Gaza’s biggest hospital, al Shifa, which has been a primary target of the ground assault.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) entered al Shifa on Wednesday as it believes Hamas’s headquarters are located underneath the hospital within a complex network of tunnels and operational offices.

The Palestinian Islamist group and doctors at al Shifa deny it is being used by Hamas.

Sky News has located three videos taken in two different areas inside al Shifa complex and released by the IDF, and analysed some of the evidence found.

Image:
Al Shifa hospital. Pic: Maxar Technologies

Alleged tunnel shaft

The Israeli army claims it has found the entrance to a Hamas tunnel shaft in its latest video posted on Friday.

It’s filmed in the eastern edge of the hospital – as the side of the surgery building is seen in the background of the video.

The hole highlighted in the footage appears to be a few metres deep, littered with and surrounded by concrete, wood, rubble and sand.

Twisted metal can be seen around the opening of the hole. In part of the footage, a bulldozer can be seen in the background.

The lower part of the alleged tunnel appears to have a smooth surface, but it offers only a limited view, so it is difficult to be certain what purpose it might serve.

From the position and length of the shadow, Sky News estimates the footage above was taken between 12pm and 2pm local time on Thursday.

But beyond that, it is not possible to gauge how deep it goes. The army has not released further footage at al Shifa relating to alleged tunnels.

Weapons ‘found’ in truck

The IDF posted another video inside al Shifa on Thursday and said it found a white vehicle in the complex which it claims contained dozens of weapons.

Ammunition, knives, RPGs, bulletproof vests and handcuffs are among the objects laid out on blankets. Plate carriers are used to carry bulletproof plates and other equipment, and rifle magazines store bullets used in the firearms.

Pic: IDF
Image:
Pic: IDF

While the images and footage do not prove who the weapons belong to, military analyst Sean Bell says they are among the types of weapons used by Hamas.

He said: “As they are a militia group, they use small arms like AK-47s and hand grenades. An AK-47 is widely used and is the sort of the weapon of choice for a lot of militia groups.”

The footage was taken metres away from the alleged tunnel, as you can also see the surgery building in the background.

This location is not in an area previously highlighted by the IDF where it believes Hamas’s headquarters and depots are underground as seen in the map below.

Image:
Al Shifa hospital. Pic: Maxar Technologies

A doctor at al Shifa, Ahmed El Mokhallalati, said it is a “totally terrifying situation” at the hospital, adding that Israeli forces had “found nothing”. The hospital is packed with patients and displaced people and is struggling to maintain operations.

The latest series of videos from al Shifa follows another released by the IDF on Wednesday, which showed Israeli forces walking through the hospital’s MRI clinic behind the emergency department.

What has the IDF said about al Shifa?

It is known that Hamas has a vast network of underground tunnels within the Gaza Strip. However, the group denies Israeli claims that it uses the hospital as a shield for tunnels and operational centres.

Israeli military officials say their operation inside the hospital is based on their understanding of a “well-hidden terrorist infrastructure” in the complex.

The IDF has previously said the entrance to Hamas’s underground HQ consists of a “number of tunnel shafts adjacent to the hospital”, adding that “additional entrances are located in various departments of the hospital, including the admissions department”, in a press release on 27 October.

Screenshot of an IDF video of illustration of underneath al-Shifa
Image:
A screenshot of an IDF video of an illustration of the type of tunnel network it believes is underneath al Shifa

It also released a video featuring an illustration of the type of infrastructure it believes exists underneath the hospital as seen in the screenshot above.

In a news conference, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the force would “not share the true material that we have in our hands”.

It has said Hamas has stored weapons and ammunition and is holding hostages in a network of tunnels under hospitals like al Shifa, using patients and people taking shelter there as human shields.

Hamas has denied operating out of medical facilities.


The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.

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Violent protests at Dublin hotel housing asylum seekers after alleged sexual assault

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Violent protests at Dublin hotel housing asylum seekers after alleged sexual assault

A police van has been set on fire and missiles have been thrown at officers as protesters gathered outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Dublin.

It is the second night of demonstrations outside the Citywest Hotel after an alleged sexual assault in its vicinity in the early hours of Monday morning.

A large crowd has gathered in the area and members of the Garda’s public order unit have been deployed.

Footage from the scene showed a Garda vehicle on fire as well as several protesters displaying Irish flags.

Many protesters carried Republic of Ireland flags
Image:
Many protesters carried Republic of Ireland flags

Some of the crowd threw stones and other missiles at the public order officers as they moved the protesters back.

A Garda helicopter hovered overhead and a water cannon was deployed on the scene.

Ireland’s justice minister, Jim O’Callaghan, said those involved will be brought to justice.

“The scenes of public disorder we have witnessed at Citywest tonight must be condemned,” he said.

“People threw missiles at Gardai, threw fireworks at them and set a Garda vehicle on fire.

“This is unacceptable and will result in a forceful response from the Gardai.

“Those involved will be brought to justice.”

The minister said a man had been arrested and had appeared in court in relation to the alleged assault in the vicinity of the hotel.

He added: “While I am not in a position to comment any further on this criminal investigation, I have been advised that there is no ongoing threat to public safety in the area.

He said attacks on gardai will “not be tolerated”, adding: “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Violence is not.

“There is no excuse for the scenes we have witnessed tonight.”

It was the second night of protest outside the hotel, which is being used as state accommodation for people seeking international protection. The demonstration on Monday night passed without a significant incident.

It comes two years after anti-immigrant demonstrators triggered a major riot in the centre of Dublin after three young children were stabbed.

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Putin-Trump Budapest meeting in doubt as official says ‘no plan for immediate future’

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Putin-Trump Budapest meeting in doubt as official says 'no plan for immediate future'

There are no plans for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to meet in person in the near future, according to a White House official.

The presidents last week agreed to meet in Budapest after a phone call Mr Trump called “extremely frank and trustful”.

The US leader suggested it was possible it could happen within a fortnight, though no date was set.

However, it appears that’s now off the table – and there are fears the meeting could be shelved altogether due to Russia‘s rigid stance on the Ukraine war.

The White House official, speaking to Sky’s US partner network NBC, said secretary of state Marco Rubio and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had spoken on Tuesday.

The call was described as “productive” but the official added there was no plan for the presidents to meet “in the immediate future”.

The last Trump-Putin meeting was in Alaska in August, but it ended without any meaningful progress towards a ceasefire.

The Budapest plan was announced shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington last Friday to try to get approval for long-range Tomahawk missiles.

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Why Tomahawks are off the table

Mr Zelenskyy accused the Russian leader of acting out of fear Ukraine could get the green light and the ability to hit targets far deeper into Russia.

In his nightly address on Tuesday, he said Russia “almost automatically became less interested in diplomacy” after it became clear Mr Trump had backed away from any decision on the Tomahawks.

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Professor Michael Clarke answers your questions on the Ukraine war.

Two US officials told Reuters that plans for the Budapest meeting had stalled over Russia’s insistence any peace deal must give it control of all of the Donbas region.

Those terms are said to have been reiterated over the weekend in a private communique known as a “no paper”.

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The Kremlin’s refusal to budge effectively rejects Mr Trump’s latest assessment that the frontlines should be frozen as they are.

The president shifted position last week after previously telling the UN General Assembly that Ukraine could win back all the land it has lost.

Read more:
Putin’s ‘not so secret weapon’ | Ukraine war Q&A
UK ‘ready to spend over £100m’ on possibly sending troops to Ukraine

Ukraine and European nations issued a joint statement on Tuesday insisting “international borders must not be changed by force” and accusing Russia of “stalling tactics”.

But, in an apparent effort to keep the US leader onside, it added: “We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations.”

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Trump: ‘We can end this war quickly’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov gave the impression his country was in no rush to arrange another Trump-Putin meeting, saying on Tuesday “preparation is needed, serious preparation”.

Such talk is likely to increase concerns Russia does not want to stop fighting and is “playing” President Trump – all while continuing to launch drone barrages at Ukrainian cities.

Russia currently holds about a fifth of Ukraine after its invasion in February in 2022. It also annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Meanwhile, NATO’s secretary general Mark Rutte is travelling to Washington to meet with President Trump on Wednesday.

He will “discuss various aspects related to NATO’s support to Ukraine and to the US-led efforts towards lasting peace”, an official for the alliance said.

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Methanol poisoning warning list expanded – symptoms to spot and how you can avoid it when travelling

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Methanol poisoning warning list expanded - symptoms to spot and how you can avoid it when travelling

Eight countries have been added to a UK Foreign Office (FCDO) list warning Britons of a risk of methanol poisoning from tainted alcohol.

Guidance has been added to the FCDO’s travel pages for Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia after an increase in cases of serious illness and death caused by alcoholic drinks tainted with methanol.

The list previously only included methanol poisoning guidance for countries where British nationals have been affected.

This included: Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Fiji.

Last year, British backpacker Simone White died in Laos, after reportedly drinking “free shots” from a local bar in the resort of Vang Vieng.

The 28-year-old from Orpington, Kent, was one of four, including an Australian woman and two Danish women, who died after being treated for methanol poisoning.

As part of the FCDO Travel Aware campaign, it is issuing information on recognising the symptoms and reducing the risks of methanol poisoning.

Hamish Falconer, the minister responsible for consular and crisis, said: “Methanol poisoning can kill – it can be difficult to detect when drinking and early symptoms mirror ordinary alcohol poisoning. By the time travellers realise the danger, it can be too late.

“I encourage all travellers to check our travel advice and Travel Aware pages before they go on holiday.”

Vang Vieng, Laos. File pic: iStock
Image:
Vang Vieng, Laos. File pic: iStock

What is methanol?

Methanol, or CH3OH, is very similar to ethanol – the pure form of alcohol in alcoholic drinks.

Like ethanol, it is an odourless, tasteless, and highly flammable liquid – but it has a different chemical structure that makes it toxic for humans.

Otherwise known as wood alcohol, methanol is most often used to make solvents, pesticides, paint thinners, and alternative fuels.

What makes it so dangerous is the way our bodies metabolise it.

Once consumed, our enzymes metabolise methanol into formaldehyde, the substance used to make industrial glue and embalming substances, before breaking it down into formic acid.

“The formic acid upsets the acid balance in blood and the major consequence is initially the effect on someone’s breathing. There are effects on many other organs, the kidney being one,” says Professor Alastair Hay, emeritus professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds.

“Formaldehyde attacks nerves, particularly the optic nerve and blindness is a potential risk,” he adds.

Travelling Britons should avoid counterfeit alcohols. Pic: iStock
Image:
Travelling Britons should avoid counterfeit alcohols. Pic: iStock

How does it end up in alcoholic drinks?

In southeast Asia and other popular tourist destinations, methanol can be found in alcoholic drinks for two main reasons.

Firstly, it is cheaper than ethanol, so it is sometimes added instead to save costs, before the counterfeit alcohol is bottled and sold in shops and bars.

Alternatively, it can occur by accident when alcohol is homemade – something common across the region.

When alcohol is distilled and fermented without the appropriate monitoring, it can sometimes produce methanol in toxic quantities.

Because it is impossible to tell the difference between methanol and ethanol content without specialist equipment, homemade drinks are often offered to tourists without anyone knowing how dangerous they are.

Simone White died of methanol poisoning in Laos in 2024
Image:
Simone White died of methanol poisoning in Laos in 2024

What are the symptoms of methanol poisoning?

Methanol is highly toxic, so as little as 25ml can prove fatal.

Methanol poisoning can be treated by using ethanol to counter the effects on the body – but only within the first 10 to 30 hours after consumption.

This makes early diagnosis and warnings to others critical. Some symptoms, however, can appear 12–48 hours after drinking.

The most common symptoms are:

• Vomiting and nausea;
• Changes in vision, including blurring, loss of sight, tunnel vision and difficulty looking at bright lights;
• Abdominal and muscle pain;
• Dizziness and confusion;
• Drowsiness and fatigue.

Methanol poisoning symptoms are similar to those from alcohol poisoning – but are often more severe. If drinks were left unattended or your symptoms appear disproportionate to the amount you drank, it could be methanol poisoning, authorities warn.

How is it treated?

Professor Hay says treatment involves removing methanol from the blood via dialysis – while “keeping someone mildly drunk” by giving them ethanol at the same time.

“The principle behind administering ethanol is quite simple; it delays methanol metabolism,” he says.

“Both alcohols are broken down by the same liver enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase. But the enzyme prefers ethanol.

“So ethanol acts as a competitive inhibitor largely preventing methanol breakdown, but markedly slowing it down, allowing the body to vent methanol from the lungs and some through the kidneys, and a little through sweat.”

This avoids the process of methanol ultimately metabolising as formic acid, he adds.

How can you avoid it while travelling?

The most commonly affected drinks are:

• Local spirits, such as rice and palm liquor, often labelled ‘special’ or ‘happy’ drinks;
• Spirit-based mixed drinks such as cocktails;
• Counterfeit brand-name bottled alcohol sold in bars and shops.

In order to minimise risks, travellers should:

• Buy alcohol only from licensed bars, hotels, or shops;
• Check labels for signs bottles may be counterfeit, including poor print quality or spelling errors;
• Avoid homemade alcohol;
• Check bottles are properly sealed before drinking from them;
• Avoid free drinks you have not seen poured yourself;
• Do not leave drinks or food unattended.

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