Israeli strike hits Nasser Hospital in Gaza, killing at least six including a surgeon

An Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, early on Thursday, November 12, killing at least six people and wounding about 20, Gaza's Health Ministry and civil defence service said. The dead include a surgeon. The strike hit the hospital's surgical wing, forcing the operating wards to shut down; the Israeli military later said its target was a senior Hamas operative inside the hospital, but it provided no evidence.

What happened

Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the strike hit the surgery department on the second floor of the Al-Yasin building at the Nasser Medical Complex, causing extensive damage. Rescue teams recovered six bodies from the rubble and evacuated more than 20 injured people. The dead surgeon was identified by medics as Rizk Abu Shaira. The hospital said work in its surgical ward had stopped. Early reports put the death toll at four before it rose to six; the Associated Press, citing Gaza's Health Ministry, reported at least a dozen wounded, while Reuters, citing the civil defence service, reported about 20. The casualty figures come from Gaza authorities and have not been independently verified.

The Israeli account, and the doubts about it

The Israeli military later said it had struck a senior Hamas militant and other members of the group's armed wing who it said were operating inside the hospital. It provided no evidence with its initial statement, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the allegation. Gaza's Health Ministry called the strike a war crime and called on the international community to intervene to protect the health system.

Thirteen months into a ceasefire

The strike came thirteen months into a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, which each side accuses the other of breaching. Strikes have continued sporadically during the truce, and the attack on a hospital has renewed attention on Gaza's battered medical system.

A hospital under strain

Nasser Hospital is one of the few major medical facilities still functioning in southern Gaza; the International Committee of the Red Cross has described it as one of the south's last big hospitals still operating. The Associated Press notes it is one of the few functioning medical facilities left in Gaza, whose healthcare infrastructure has been decimated by a yearslong war. With its surgical ward out of action, pressure on care for the sick and wounded in the area will grow further.

Sources: Associated Press; Reuters.