Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills surgeon, child and patients

Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills surgeon, child and patients

An Israeli air strike hit Nasser Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip early on Thursday, killing at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon, a child and patients, and wounding 20 others.

The strike hit the hospital's surgical buildings at around 1 am local time. The partially functioning complex in Khan Younis remains the last major referral hospital operating in southern Gaza, despite being under extreme strain.

Dr Rizq Abu Shaira, 53, was among those killed, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The surgeon was treating patients when the strike hit, local media reported.

At least one child and a disabled patient were also killed. Other patients and medical staff, including women and children, were wounded.

The ministry condemned the attack, describing it as a flagrant violation of international law.

“The continued targeting of hospitals and their medical facilities exacerbates the suffering of the sick and wounded, and threatens what remains of the ability of the health sector to provide its services,” it said.

Two missiles struck the building's roof, penetrating the third floor before exploding on the second, The New York Times reported.

A hospital official said the strike caused extensive damage to the intensive care and surgical wards, including both the male and female departments.

The hospital's surgical ward has since been forced to suspend operations.

Hamas held the so-called Board of Peace responsible for the attack, saying it reflected Israel's continued impunity amid international silence and the failure to stop its violations.

The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, saying it had targeted “a senior terrorist and additional Hamas terrorists as they were hiding at the Nasser Hospital”.

Ynet reported that the attack targeted Khaled Abu Anza, whom it described as the commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade.

Middle East Eye could not independently verify the reports.

The Israeli military has claimed in recent months that Hamas was using Nasser Hospital for military purposes.

Similar claims have been made by the army since the start of Israel's genocide in Gaza in 2023, often preceding attacks on hospitals. The Palestinian movement has repeatedly denied them.

“The Israeli occupation's claims that Nasser Medical Complex was being used for military purposes are repeated lies intended to provide cover for the systematic targeting of the healthcare sector,” Hamas said on Thursday.

Attacks on hospitals

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 94 percent of hospitals in Gaza have been fully or partially destroyed during Israel's genocide.

Israeli forces have also killed and abducted hundreds of doctors, nurses and other medical workers.

Nasser Hospital, the second-largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip before the war, has been targeted at least seven times since October 2023.

In August 2025, an Israeli double-tap attack on the hospital killed 20 people, including Palestinian journalists, medical staff and first responders.

Among those killed were Middle East Eye contributors Mohamed Salama and Ahmed Abu Aziz.

International law experts have said the attack may have amounted to war crimes.