Israeli Airstrike Hits Nasser Hospital in Southern Gaza Killing Six People

An Israeli airstrike hit the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis early Thursday, killing six people, including a surgeon, and wounding at least a dozen others at the facility.

Gaza’s health ministry and civil defence officials reported that the missile penetrated multiple floors of the hospital, causing significant damage to the surgery department and intensive care unit.

The facility serves at least 500,000 people in southern Gaza and remains one of the few functioning hospitals in the territory after years of conflict.

“Most of those killed and injured were patients, including people who were scheduled to undergo surgery the following day,” said Hind Khoudary, a correspondent for Al Jazeera.

The Israeli military stated it targeted a Hamas commander who had turned the hospital into a headquarters, though it provided no evidence for the claim.

Hamas condemned the strike as a war crime and denied the military’s allegations, describing them as a blatant attempt to cover up attacks on civilian medical infrastructure.

“Mediators and the US administration must take action to halt the occupation’s ongoing violations and ensure its adherence to a ceasefire,” Hamas said in a statement.

Medics identified the surgeon killed in the strike as Rizk Abu Shaira, according to reports from Gaza health authorities and the civil defence service.

While the Israeli military claims Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, international law generally protects medical facilities unless they are used for such operations.

The strike occurred as the United Nations issued an emergency appeal for waterproof tents to assist hundreds of thousands of people displaced by heavy rains and flooding.

Health authorities in Gaza report that 1,622 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since a ceasefire began in October 2025.

It remains unclear whether further military operations are planned for the area surrounding the hospital or if international mediators will intervene to address the breach of the ceasefire.