LONDON — An overnight Israeli airstrike hit the Nasser Hospital complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis early Thursday, killing at least six people—including a surgeon—and leaving dozens more wounded, according to local health officials.
The strike, which reportedly targeted the building’s second floor, has rendered the facility’s surgical wing and intensive care unit non-operational. As one of the last remaining medical centers functioning in the Gaza Strip, the destruction of the Nasser Hospital’s primary facility represents a critical blow to an already decimated healthcare infrastructure.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they conducted the operation, asserting that the strike was aimed at a Hamas commander and other militants purportedly embedded within the hospital. In a statement released Thursday, the Israeli military alleged that Hamas has established a “command center for military and terrorist activities” inside the complex. The IDF did not provide immediate evidence to substantiate these claims.
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and other nations, categorically rejected the allegations. In a statement following the attack, the group described the strike as a “war crime,” accusing Israel of deliberately targeting vital medical infrastructure.
Thursday’s operation marks the seventh time the Nasser Hospital complex has been struck by Israeli forces since the onset of the war on October 7, 2023. The conflict was ignited by Hamas’ surprise cross-border attack into southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people.
In the wake of that assault, Israel launched a massive military campaign in Gaza. According to data provided by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, the subsequent war has claimed at least 74,653 lives and left more than 176,000 others wounded. These figures, while difficult to verify independently, reflect the immense scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in the territory.
The loss of the surgical department at Nasser Hospital is expected to have dire consequences for the population in the southern strip. With most of Gaza’s hospitals already out of service or struggling with severe shortages of supplies, fuel, and staff, the incident underscores the escalating dangers facing both patients and medical personnel trapped in the conflict zone.
As the facility is officially declared out of service, international observers continue to express alarm over the protection of hospitals under international law. While the IDF maintains that its actions are necessary to dismantle Hamas’ operational capabilities, the frequent strikes on medical sites remain a major point of contention and a primary driver of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
ABC News’ Nasser Atta, Dorit Long, Diaa Ostaz and Samy Zyara contributed to this report.
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