According to the Hamas-run health ministry, an Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip resulted in six fatalities and over thirty injuries.
According to the hospital’s director, two missiles struck a structure that housed intensive care units and surgical wards during the nite, although one of the missiles did not detonate.
Surgeon Dr. Rizq Abu Shaira was among the medical personnel, patients, and companions who perished, according to the health ministry. The incident was denounced as a “flagrant violation of international laws and conventions” by the statement.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Incident | Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex |
| Location | Khan Younis, southern Gaza |
| Time | Early Thursday |
| Hospital | Nasser Medical Complex |
| Reported target | Hamas commander and other fighters, according to Israel |
| Reported casualties | One doctor killed and medical staff injured |
| Main concern | Hospital safety and civilian protection |
A commander of Hamas’s armed wing and other fighters who had utilized the hospital as a “headquarters” to organize attacks against its soldiers were targeted, according to the Israeli military.
Israel was disseminating “false narratives” in a “blatant attempt to cover up a new war crime,” according to Hamas.
Despite having a protected position under international law, hospitals have been often targeted during the conflict in Gaza.
Israeli Missile Strike Damages Gaza Hospital
With about a million patients, the Nasser Medical Complex is the biggest hospital in southern Gaza and is situated in the city of Khan Younis.
A paramedic from the Hamas-run Civil Defense organization who arrived at the building following the attack early on Thursday claimed in a video shared on social media that a missile entered the five-story building and struck a surgical department room.
Additional video that activists posted revealed a lot of damage on the second story, where an explosion had scattered beds and medical equipment, as well as dense smoke inside the building.
Gaza Doctor Recounts Deadly Hospital Strike
General surgery specialist Dr. Mohammed Qdeih, who suffered a head injury, stated that he and other medical personnel had just concluded work at 00:30 and were getting ready for bed when an explosion occurred.
My entire body was buried beneath the debris. He told the reporters, “I thought for a second that I was going to pass out or die.”I began yelling, “Guys! Guys!” as I struggled to break free. I started to crawl in an attempt to free my leg from under the debris.
Israel Claims Hamas Used Hospital as Base
The commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, Mohammed Abu Ismail, and other fighters who were “hiding inside” Nasser Hospital were the targets of the Israeli military’s “precise strike,” according to a statement.
After converting the Nasser hospital facility into a headquarters and using it to develop hundreds of terrorist schemes against our forces and rebuild the brigade’s force, the terrorists were struck to eliminate the threat they posed, it claimed.
The military also published an audio recording of the strike and stated that it had sent advance warnings prior to it.
