Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital kills 6 and injures over a dozen

Gaza's Health Ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike early Thursday targeted the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, killing six people and injuring at least a dozen others. The strike hit the hospital's surgical wing, and among those killed was a doctor, according to the ministry and an Associated Press journalist at the scene.

The Israeli military stated it targeted "a senior Hamas terrorist" and other militants in the strike but did not provide evidence. Israel accused Hamas of using the hospital complex as a command center for military and terrorist activities, asserting that militants had established a presence within the hospital.

Nasser Hospital, located in Khan Younis, is one of the few operational medical facilities remaining in Gaza, where the healthcare infrastructure has been severely damaged by ongoing conflict. Israeli forces have previously attacked and raided this hospital, including a 2025 strike that killed five journalists at a reporters' gathering point within the complex.

The conflict began in October 2023 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, leading to a retaliatory offensive by Israel that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry figures. Despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire, Israel has continued strikes in Gaza and controls a significant portion of the territory.