Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital kills 6 people, health authorities say

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike targeting the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed six people, including a general surgeon, and wounded at least a dozen more, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

The strike was carried out early Thursday, according to the Israeli military, which said it struck a Hamas commander and other militants, without providing evidence.

The Gaza Health Ministry said the strike hit the hospital's surgical wing and that a doctor, Rizk Abu Shaira, was among the dead. Inside the building, parts of several floors were either severely damaged or destroyed. Debris was scattered across hospital beds and equipment, and rebar dangled from the ceiling where the munition penetrated.

Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis is one of the few functioning medical facilities left in Gaza, whose healthcare infrastructure has been decimated by a yearslong war.

The Israeli military has raided or laid siege to hospitals across Gaza, accusing Hamas of using them as command centers and to hide fighters. It has also destroyed medical equipment and supplies and killed or detained hundreds of healthcare workers.

In armed conflict, hospitals and their staff are protected under international humanitarian law. A hospital can lose its protected status, however, if it used for military purposes.

In a statement on Thursday, the military said Hamas had "established a presence within the hospital complex" and that the commander had turned it "into a headquarters."

Israeli forces have previously attacked Nasser Hospital. In 2025, the military killed five journalists — including AP contributor Mariam Dagga — when it struck a gathering point for local reporters at the complex.

The war in Gaza started on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Since then, Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 74,600 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government but whose figures are generally considered reliable by the international community.

Israel has continued to strike Gaza despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire and controls at least 60% of the enclave. Since the truce went into effect in October 2025, Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed 1,622 people, health authorities say. Five Israeli soldiers have also been killed during that period.