Israel says Gaza hospital strike targeted Hamas commander as medics report six killed
A surgeon was among six people reported killed at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, while the fate of the Hamas brigade commander targeted by Israel remained unclear.
By Vanessa Lopez ·
An Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza shortly after midnight on Thursday targeted a senior Hamas commander, according to the Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency. Medics in Gaza reported that six people were killed, including a surgeon, and at least 20 others were wounded.
The two Israeli agencies identified the intended target as Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, and said other operatives were hiding at the hospital. His fate remained unknown on Thursday morning as officials assessed the results. Israel said those targeted were preparing attacks against Israeli civilians and troops and alleged that Hamas had established a military headquarters within the hospital grounds.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense agency, said the strike hit the hospital’s surgery department, leaving extensive damage and killing a doctor and several others. Medics named the surgeon as Rezik Abushira. Video from the hospital showed damaged rooms filled with rubble and scattered furniture, with wires hanging from broken ceilings.
In the footage, rescuers carried patients on stretchers through corridors covered in debris, while other injured people walked with assistance. Bodies were also carried away as firefighters worked outside. A Hamas spokesperson condemned the attack as a “full-fledged war crime.”
The Israeli military did not issue its first comment until 7 a.m., about seven hours after the strike, despite international reporting throughout the night. A further statement identifying the target followed at 10 a.m. The military’s spokesperson unit often waits for strike results before commenting, but the reason it offered no earlier initial response remained unclear.
Israel and Shin Bet accused Abu Ismail of directing attacks against troops and civilians and overseeing the captivity of numerous hostages during the war. His predecessor was killed by Israel in September. The military said precautions to limit civilian casualties included advance warnings, precision weapons and aerial surveillance.
The agencies also alleged that Hamas stored weapons, ran command centers and conducted interrogations and torture inside the hospital complex. They said hospital facilities served as observation posts and shelters for operatives. Hospitals are protected under international law, though military use can cause them to lose that protection.
Nasser Hospital has previously been the site of Israeli attacks. A senior Hamas commander was killed there last year, and former Israeli hostages have said they were held at the facility. A separate strike last year killed 22 people, including five journalists. Israel said six of those killed were Hamas operatives, including one involved in the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
Earlier this year, Doctors Without Borders suspended noncritical medical activities at Nasser Hospital because armed men were present. Israel has stepped up strikes on Gaza operatives in recent months, saying they threaten its forces and are rebuilding Hamas’s military strength and civilian control. Meanwhile, implementation of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan has stalled, with Hamas refusing to disarm and Israel declining to withdraw from any part of Gaza until it does.
