An Israeli air strike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis killed at least six people, including a prominent surgeon, during the early hours of Thursday, Gaza health and civil defence officials said.
The strike penetrated the hospital building vertically, destroying parts of the second floor and heavily damaging the surgery department and intensive care unit, according to Al Jazeera reporting and hospital director Raed al-Dahshan.
Surgeon Rizk Abu Shaira and Others Killed in Attack
Medical teams at the facility identified the dead surgeon as Rizk Abu Shaira, also referred to in reports as Rezik Abushira. At least 20 other people were wounded in the attack on the medical complex.
A senior Hamas commander and other members of the terror group were targeted in an Israeli strike at a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip overnight, the military says. The strike on the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis killed six people and wounded at least 20 others,…
“Most of those killed and injured were patients, including people who were scheduled to undergo surgery the following day,” said Al Jazeera’s Gaza correspondent, Hind Khoudary.
“This is one of the largest hospitals in the Gaza Strip and the only hospital still standing in Khan Younis, serving at least 500,000 people in southern Gaza,” hospital director Raed al-Dahshan said. The complex serves approximately 500,000 residents in southern Gaza and remains one of the largest functioning medical centers in the territory.
The IDF and Shin Bet confirm that the target of the overnight strike on a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip was the commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade. The strike on the Nasser Hospital complex in Khan Younis killed six people and wounded at least 20 others, according to…
The attack on the medical complex unfolded amid broader bombardment across the coastal strip. Prior to the strike at Nasser, Israeli attacks killed seven other Palestinians across the territory, including a 38-year-old man named Mohammed Salem al-Daash in the Sabra neighborhood south of Gaza City.
IDF Airstrike Targeted Hamas Cell in Hospital Compound
The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security agency confirmed they carried out an overnight airstrike targeting a Hamas cell operating within the hospital compound. The military said that the operation struck “a senior Hamas terrorist” and other militants “while they were operating within Nasser Hospital,” identifying the commander as Muhammad Abu Ismail.
Even Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was forced to suspend some operations at Nasser Hospital in Gaza Why? Armed Palestinian Hamas terrorists inside the hospital, intimidation, arrests of patients and weapons movements. Hospitals must be places of healing, not armed intimidation.…
In a joint statement, the military asserted that Hamas “had established a presence within the hospital complex and used it as a command center for military and terrorist activities against IDF troops and the State of Israel,” according to The Jerusalem Post. Israeli security officials claimed the compound housed weapons storage, interrogation and torture rooms operated by internal security services, and observation posts.
Palestinian media and local sources reported that Khaled Abu Anza, described as the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, was killed in the strike, though the IDF stated it was still assessing whether that specific assassination succeeded, according to ynetglobal. Palestinian officials said that another individual killed in the wider military operations, Murad Abu Zarifa, was linked to the abduction of Adina Moshe from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Military Operations Follow Ceasefire Agreement and Face Scrutiny
The hospital has faced prior military operations and extended scrutiny regarding military utilization.
The hostilities follow the U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement that went into effect in October 2025.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad issued a statement accusing the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump of providing political and military cover for the Israeli operations. Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said that the cumulative death toll from the broader offensive has surpassed 74,600 fatalities.
The IDF targeted a senior Hamas commander at Nasser Hospital, using precision munitions and aerial surveillance to reduce civilian harm. Palestinian Hamas uses the hospital complex for interrogation, torture and terrorist operations. Instead of disarming, Hamas is rebuilding…