Israeli Military: Nasser Hospital Gaza Strike Kills 6, Targets Hamas

• An Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early Thursday resulted in six deaths, contributing to a total of ten fatalities across Gaza that day.
• The Israeli military confirmed the attack, stating it targeted Hamas militants, including commander Mohammed Abu Ismail, who were allegedly operating from the hospital.
• Hamas denied using the hospital for military purposes, labeling the strike a war crime and accusing Israel of fabricating justifications.
• This incident, the deadliest single strike since recent Israeli elections, occurred despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire initiated in October 2025.
• Both Israeli and Palestinian authorities frequently accuse each other of violating the terms of the 2025 ceasefire agreement.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamist movement, condemned the attack as a war crime, raising serious questions about potential violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.

An Israeli military operation targeting Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, resulted in the deaths of six individuals early Thursday, making it the deadliest single strike since Israel's recent elections. This incident contributed to a total of ten fatalities reported across Gaza on the same day. The hospital, a significant medical complex in the region, confirmed the six deaths, while a doctor there indicated that nearly 30 people sustained injuries.

Among those killed was Palestinian doctor Rizeq Abu Sheikh, who had performed surgery the previous evening with British volunteer surgeon Goher Rahbour. Rahbour recounted the immediate aftermath of the strike, which occurred just after midnight, describing it as "very loud, very quick," causing the building to shake and generating significant smoke. An Agence France-Presse journalist at the scene observed a partially collapsed exterior staircase and an entire floor inside the facility damaged, with concrete debris from collapsed walls intermingled with broken medical equipment. Paramedic Ezzedin Abu Sabha further stated that the surgery building was struck by F-16 aircraft without any prior warning, leading to numerous patient injuries and the deaths of both patients and medical personnel. Gaza’s civil defense agency later recovered bodies from the targeted structure, which a medical source identified as the hospital's surgery ward.

The Israeli military confirmed its strike on the Nasser Hospital medical complex, asserting that it specifically targeted "a senior Hamas terrorist and additional terrorists from Hamas’s military wing" who were allegedly operating from within the hospital grounds. The military has consistently accused the Palestinian Islamist movement of utilizing medical facilities to shelter militants and stated that the aerial strike was conducted to "eliminate the threat they posed" after Hamas reportedly established a presence and used the complex as a command center. Mohammed Abu Ismail, identified as a Hamas commander for the Khan Younis brigade, was among those killed in the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital Gaza, according to the Israeli military.

In response, Hamas vehemently denied using the hospital for any military purposes, dismissing Israel's claims as a "false narrative" designed to justify its airstrikes. Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamist movement, condemned the attack as a war crime, raising serious questions about potential violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict. Qassem also assigned responsibility to the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, tasked with overseeing Gaza's ceasefire plan, for its perceived failure to prevent the deadly incident. These Gaza war crimes allegations highlight the deep divisions and mistrust between the warring parties.

The deadly Nasser Hospital bombing occurred amidst ongoing accusations of Israel Hamas ceasefire violations 2025 by both sides, despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October 2025. Since the inception of this ceasefire, more than 1,600 Palestinians have been killed, underscoring the persistent violence in the region. Beyond the Nasser Hospital bombing, Thursday saw additional fatalities across Gaza.

Gaza’s rescue agency reported four other deaths that day: one individual was killed by "Israeli gunfire" near the al-Bureij camp in central Gaza, and another died in an "Israeli drone strike" targeting a vehicle near Deir al-Balah, also in central Gaza. Two more people were killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle near Gaza City’s al-Shifa hospital. The Israeli military acknowledged striking a militant in Deir al-Balah and another in Gaza City but denied that the latter strike took place in the vicinity of al-Shifa Hospital. These incidents collectively brought Thursday's total death toll to ten.

The recent Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital and the ongoing conflict unfold against a backdrop of political uncertainty in Israel. The nation is currently governed by a caretaker administration led by Benjamin Netanyahu, following an inconclusive election. Gadi Eisenkot, head of the opposition bloc, has been officially tasked with the challenging responsibility of forming a new government.

Netanyahu, who has served as Israel's leader intermittently for nearly two decades and has overseen the country throughout the war in Gaza, consistently emphasized national security threats during the election period. He has also advocated for the formation of a unity government, reflecting the complex political environment and the persistent security challenges facing Israel.

This article reports on an international conflict and potential violations of international humanitarian law. For a US lawyer practicing domestic case law, there is no direct, actionable legal implication or specific guidance to be derived from this news development.

Source: Original reporting via Agence France-Presse