At least six people, including a healthcare worker, patients and their companions, were killed and 27 others injured after an Israeli airstrike hit the surgical department of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday.
The attack damaged the hospital’s surgical building and renewed fears over the safety of medical facilities and health workers amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Al Jazeera (citing the Gaza Health Ministry) said victims included medical staff and civilians who were inside the hospital when the strike took place. Dr Rizq Abu Shuaira was among those killed.
The Gaza Health Ministry condemned the attack, saying it was “a flagrant violation of international law that protects hospitals, healthcare workers and patients”. It called for intervention from the international community and UN organisations immediately to protect medical facilities and ensure accountability for attacks on healthcare infrastructure.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also confirmed casualties and was concerned about the damage to the hospital. In a post on X, he said the surgical department of Nasser Medical Complex had been hit in the early hours of this morning; six people were killed and at least 27 others injured. It was another attack on healthcare facilities in Gaza, he added.
The WHO chief said the damage wasn’t limited to the surgical department either. Other critical sections of the hospital, including the operating theatres, recovery unit and intensive care unit, were also reportedly damaged. Assessments were being carried out to see how much destruction there was and whether it would affect the hospital’s ability to provide medical services. This has made things even more difficult for patients and medical staff who are already operating under extremely difficult conditions.
Tedros also pointed to the wider effect of the war on Gaza’s health system, saying WHO had recorded 1,056 attacks on healthcare facilities in the Palestinian territory since October 2023, 1,010 deaths and 1,725 injuries. The figures show how much pressure is being put on Gaza’s medical infrastructure as hospitals, doctors and emergency services have been repeatedly targeted and disrupted.
The latest strike has reignited international fears about protecting hospitals during armed conflict: Medical centres treat injured civilians, manage emergencies, and provide life-saving services when fighting is intense. The Gaza Health Ministry has called on international organisations to take action now to prevent further attacks so hospitals can continue operating without interference.
⚡️🚨 Israeli shelling targets the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing six people and wounding more than 20, according to local reports. Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said 5 were recovered and more than 20 injured evacuated, and reports later put the death toll at six, with extensive damage to the complex.
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) November 12, 2026
Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the strike was on Hamas operatives who were operating from inside the Nasser Medical Complex compound. In a statement, the Israeli military said it had been used by members of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade for military purposes.
The IDF named the main target as Muhammad Abu Ismail, a senior commander of the brigade and claimed that Abu Ismail had held hostages during the conflict (people in hospital included). It also claimed that the second floor of the hospital was being used as a Hamas military headquarters where commanders operated under security arrangements “and civilians not allowed in”. These claims were made by the Israeli military and have not been independently verified in the information available about the incident.
The IDF also named two other people it said were targeted during the operation: Muared Tawfiq Mahmoud Abu Zarifa (team leader in the engineering department of Hamas’ Combat and Administrative Support Company) and Khaled Osama Abu Anza (head of communications section at Hamas intelligence headquarters).
The military said those targeted were involved in military activity and rebuilding the operational capabilities of the Khan Younis Brigade of Hamas. It also said the hospital compound had been used to plan attacks against Israeli soldiers. The IDF said the operation was meant to eliminate what it called an “immediate security threat”. The military also claimed that precautions had been taken before the strike to minimise damage to the hospital and reduce risk of civilian casualties.
In its statement, the Israeli military said it had warned repeatedly that military activity at the hospital compound should stop and that such activity continued even after previous warnings were given. It said its operations were legal under international law and respected special protections for medical facilities and healthcare workers, but the deaths and injuries reported, as well as damage to key hospital departments, have raised concerns about the protection of civilians and medical infrastructure in Gaza.
The incident has also shown the competing accounts around military operations near health care facilities, with Palestinian health authorities reporting civilian and medical casualties while Israel says it hit Hamas operatives. Details of the strike (how much damage was done, how services in hospitals are affected) remain to be fully established. International calls for protection of medical facilities and healthcare workers are likely to grow louder as Gaza’s healthcare system continues to face severe challenges.
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