Airstrike Hits Nasser Hospital in Gaza, Killing Six Staff and Patients
The early morning attack destroyed the surgery wing and forced the suspension of key medical services at one of Gaza's few remaining hospitals.
By Oliver Bennett ·
An Israeli airstrike hit Nasser hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday, killing six people and injuring 28 others. The military said it targeted a Hamas commander and other fighters inside the facility. The army did not provide evidence for this claim in its statement.
The blast occurred at approximately 12:30 am. Dr. Ahmed al-Fara, the hospital director, said the explosion destroyed part of the surgery department. It caused severe damage to several floors. Radiology, laboratories, surgical operations, and inpatient surgical wards suspended services. A ceiling collapsed in one ward. Beds lay covered in debris next to twisted medical instruments.
Dr. Ayman Abu Ubaid, a surgical specialist, was wounded in the attack. He described thick smoke filling the rooms and fires breaking out as injured people screamed. Most staff members suffered limb injuries and shrapnel wounds. The strike caught surgical patients waiting for operations while they slept.
Rizk Abu Shaira, a 52-year-old general surgeon, was among the dead. He had appeared in the American Doctor documentary. Dr. Thaer Ahmad, who also featured in the film, posted on social media that Abu Shaira died while serving his people. Abu Shaira was killed alongside a patient he had recently operated on. Seif Ghazi Abu Hatab, 29, was another victim. He had been admitted after debris fell on his back while clearing rubble from a friend’s home.
Abu Hatab was scheduled for surgery at 10 am on Thursday. His cousin, Tareq Abu Hatab, said the young man was eager to rebuild. Abu Hatab had already lost his father and two brothers. His mother now mourns three sons.
Nasser hospital is one of the few functioning healthcare facilities in Gaza. Most other structures are unusable due to extensive bombing. The hospital was struck last year in a double-tap attack that killed five journalists. It has been attacked seven times since the war began. The Israeli military accuses Hamas of using hospitals as command centers and weapon storage. Hamas rejects these claims.
The death toll for healthcare workers in Gaza has exceeded 1,700. Doctors Without Borders reports that Israel has detained hundreds of medical staff since October 2023. At least 95 remain in custody. About 90 percent of Gaza’s health infrastructure is destroyed or damaged. UN experts have termed this systematic destruction medicide. International humanitarian law generally prohibits attacking healthcare facilities unless they are used for military purposes.
Medical needs are acute during winter. Rains have displaced residents from tents and increased communicable diseases in crowded camps. Dr. al-Fara said the hospital is lacking about 80 percent of its essential medicines and supplies. The war began after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry reports at least 74,645 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began. The commission has stated that Israel has carried out a genocide in the strip. Airstrikes continue. The Gaza ministry of health reports more than 1,600 people have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire.
