KHAN YOUNIS: An Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital—one of the few remaining operational medical facilities in the Gaza Strip—on Thursday, killing six people, including a general surgeon and a 13-year-old child, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed the strike on the southern Gaza medical center was aimed at neutralizing a senior Hamas commander and other militants operating from the premises. However, local health officials confirmed that the targeted commander was not among those killed in the strike.
According to hospital officials and eyewitnesses, the missile directly struck the surgical department of the hospital. Video footage from the site showed several operating rooms and recovery wards extensively damaged, with heavy debris scattered across hospital beds and medical equipment. At least 28 people sustained injuries in the attack. The deceased have been identified as Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, a general surgeon, along with two patients, including the 13-year-old boy.
The strike has forced a complete suspension of medical operations across several critical wings of the hospital. British surgeon Dr. Goher Rahbour, who was volunteering at Nasser Hospital during the attack, stated that the explosion occurred shortly after midnight, shaking the entire building structure and reducing the fourth-floor recovery area to rubble.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com