Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills six Palestinians

GAZA: At least six Palestinians have been killed and several others injured in an Israeli air strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The overnight attack struck a five-storey building housing the hospital’s surgical department and intensive care units. Medical staff, patients and their companions were among those reported killed.

Witnesses said a missile fired from an Israeli warplane hit the building. A Civil Defence paramedic said the projectile penetrated the structure and struck a room in the surgical department, causing extensive damage.

Videos circulating on social media showed smoke inside the building, with medical equipment and hospital beds scattered across the damaged floor. The hospital director said the strike hit the structure vertically.

The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the attack, saying it had targeted a senior Hamas figure and other members of the group’s armed wing. It alleged that they had been operating from inside the hospital and using it as a command centre for military activities.

Hamas has not commented on the Israeli claim. However, it accused Israel of killing patients and medical personnel, describing the attack as a war crime.

Hospitals are granted special protection under international humanitarian law. However, they may lose that protection under specific circumstances if used for military purposes, subject to strict legal conditions and warnings where required. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of operating from civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, while the group denies the allegations.

The latest strike has renewed concerns over the safety of medical facilities in Gaza, where healthcare services have been severely affected by the prolonged conflict.

Nasser Hospital was also hit by an Israeli double strike in August 2025, killing at least 20 people, including journalists and healthcare workers.

Israeli attacks have continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October last year. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 1,620 people have been killed since the truce began, while Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violating the agreement.

The humanitarian situation has further deteriorated following heavy rains that flooded thousands of tents sheltering displaced Palestinian families.

The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. Since then, more than 74,650 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.