CAIRO, Nov 12 - An airstrike in southern Gaza struck a building at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early on Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring around 20, Gaza civil defence officials reported. Among the dead was a surgeon identified by medics as Rezik Abushira, and the blast seriously damaged the hospital's surgical facilities, according to a spokesperson for the territory's civil defence.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a senior Hamas militant and additional members of the group's armed wing who it said were operating inside the hospital complex. In a statement, the military accused Hamas of using sections of the hospital for military purposes, including storing weapons, maintaining command-and-control rooms and employing hospital spaces as observation posts and shelters for fighters. Independent verification of those allegations was not immediately available.
Video footage from inside the facility showed extensive structural damage. Rooms were strewn with rubble and broken furniture, wires dangled from damaged ceilings, and corridors were covered in debris. Medical personnel and bystanders were seen carrying wounded patients on stretchers through the wreckage, while others assisted those who could walk. Several bodies were also observed being carried away as firefighters worked outside the damaged wing.
A Hamas spokesperson condemned the strike, calling it a "fully-fledged war crime." Israel, which has intensified its operations in the enclave, said it was aiming to prevent Hamas from regrouping and rebuilding its arsenal. Hamas, in turn, said it remained committed to a year-old ceasefire and accused Israel of seeking to undermine that agreement.
Health authorities in Gaza reported that at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the territory since the ceasefire deal was agreed, while Israel reported four soldiers killed. Separately, Gaza health officials cite a total of more than 74,000 people killed since the beginning of Israel's assault on Gaza in October 2023. Israel's offensive followed an attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel, an event Israel says resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths.
Context and immediate effects
The strike on a functioning hospital building and the resulting casualties and damage to surgical facilities underscore the severe strain on medical infrastructure in Gaza. The death of a surgeon and the reported injuries to medical staff and patients highlight the direct human cost and the risk to ongoing medical care in the enclave.
Information limitations
The Israeli military's assertions that Hamas was operating command-and-control functions and storing weapons inside the hospital complex remain claims for which independent corroboration was not immediately available. Local authorities and medical personnel described significant physical damage and casualties at the site.