Israeli Airstrike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital Kills Six
An Israeli airstrike on Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killed six people and wounded more than 20, according to the Palestinian news agency. The attack struck at about 12.30am without warning, destroying part of the surgery department and damaging several floors of one of the strip’s last functioning medical facilities. Patients awaiting operations were among those affected, while smoke, fires, rubble and scattered medical equipment filled the building. Dr Ayman Abu Ubaid, a surgical specialist wounded in the blast, said many survivors suffered limb injuries and shrapnel wounds.
Those killed included Rizk Abu Shaira, a general surgeon known for appearing in the documentary American Doctor, and Seif Ghazi Abu Hatab, a 29-year-old patient scheduled for surgery later that morning. Abu Hatab had been injured while clearing debris from a friend’s home and had hoped to receive further treatment abroad. His cousin said he had already lost two brothers and his father.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a Hamas commander and other fighters inside the hospital, but provided no evidence. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, while Hamas rejects the claim. The strike comes amid the wider collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system: UN experts say about 90% of its health infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged, and Doctors Without Borders says more than 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed. Attacks on medical facilities and staff are prohibited under international humanitarian law unless a facility is being used for military purposes.
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