‘Israel’ claims overnight Khan Younis hospital strike targeted Hamas operatives
- The ‘Israeli’ military alleged that Hamas was using the hospital grounds to store weapons, run command rooms, conduct internal interrogations, and shelter operatives.
- Six Palestinians were killed and over 20 others, including medical staff and patients.
‘Israel’ claimed on Thursday that an overnight aerial strike by its military targeted a senior Hamas operative allegedly sheltering inside Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, in an attack that killed six Palestinians and injured more than 20 others including medical staff and patients.
The ‘Israeli’ military claimed that the strike was aimed to “eliminate the threat,” adding that “they were advancing terrorist plots against Israeli civilians and IDF forces, after Hamas established itself on the hospital grounds and turned it into a headquarters for military and terrorist activity against IDF forces and the State of Israel.”
‘Israel’ accused Hamas of exploiting civilian medical infrastructure by storing weapons and ammunition on the compound, operating command and control centers, conducting internal interrogations, and using hospital buildings as observation posts.
The ‘Israeli’ military described the alleged activity as a “flagrant violation of international law and a cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure.”
Reports from the scene reported that the strike directly hit the second floor of the Yassin Building inside Nasser Medical Complex, causing severe material damage across the recovery ward as well as the men’s and women’s surgery and internal medicine departments.
More than 20 people, including hospital staff and patients, were injured alongside the six fatalities.
The blast caused widespread panic among patients and displaced civilians sheltering inside the facility, forcing ambulance crews to evacuate dozens of wounded individuals amid critical shortages and difficult conditions.
As the largest functioning medical institution in southern Gaza, Nasser Medical Complex handles the heaviest burden of trauma cases and patient care amid the widespread collapse of the enclave’s health sector.
Local medical workers and observers have increasingly warned that continued ‘Israeli’ strikes on hospital facilities threaten to force the vital lifeline completely out of operation.
The Gaza Ministry of Health also condemned the strike, describing the targeting of a medical facility housing patients and healthcare staff as a grave assault on the healthcare system and a violation of international law.
In a statement, the ministry warned that continued strikes on hospitals and medical facilities threaten the survival of Gaza’s remaining healthcare sector and severely compound the suffering of patients.
