Gaza Medical Strike: Six Dead in Nasser Hospital Attack

At least six people died in an airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported the casualties from the attack, which occurred on Thursday night. The strike targeted a surgery building within the hospital complex. This facility serves as one of the few operational medical centers left in the region after years of conflict. Among the dead were medical staff and patients, including a surgeon and a 13-year-old boy.

The Israeli military stated it was targeting a senior Hamas commander and other militants. Officials identified the commander as Muhammad Abu Ismail. He led the Hamas Khan Younis Brigade and was responsible for holding hostages. The military and the Israel Security Agency claimed Hamas ran a command center inside the hospital. They said weapons were stored there and interrogations took place in the building.

Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, a Palestinian surgeon, was among those killed. He appeared in the 2026 documentary American Doctor, which followed three American physicians working in Gaza. Watermelon Pictures, the distributor of the film, expressed devastation over his death. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the director general of the Health Ministry in Gaza, spoke to mourners in a video. He said Abu Shaira never abandoned his duties during the war and was always proud to save lives.

Nasser Hospital confirmed the death of a 13-year-old patient named Jihad Naeem Muhammad Abu Tilikh. A 53-year-old man named Khaled Abu Anza also died in the strike. His sister, Tahani Ibrahim Abu Anza, said he was there for physical therapy after surgery. She stated he believed he was targeted because a Hamas commander with the same surname was reportedly killed. Israeli media reported the commander's death, and the Israeli Defense Forces said they are investigating the matter.

Hamas rejected the military's claims and labeled the attack a war crime. The group said the hospital was not being used for military operations. The Israeli military responded that it used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to reduce harm to civilians. It confirmed an investigation is underway regarding the deaths of medical workers and patients.

The strike occurred despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025. The Palestinian Health Ministry said more than 1,600 people have been killed in Gaza since the truce took effect. Israel reported that four of its soldiers died during the same period. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms. Since the offensive began after the attacks of October 7, 2023, more than 74,600 people have been killed in Gaza.

The World Health Organization reports that only two of Gaza's 37 hospitals are fully functioning. Eighteen are partially functioning, and 17 are nonfunctioning. Medical Aid for Palestinians, which supports departments at Nasser Hospital, stated the attack shows the ceasefire has not brought safety to the healthcare system. The strikes occur as Palestinians face heavy rains and colder weather.