An Israeli airstrike hit the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in the early hours of Thursday, killing six people and wounding more than 20, Gaza's Civil Defence and the hospital said.
The strike hit the second floor of the Al-Yasin building in the western Khan Younis, which houses the surgical department. The hospital director reported extensive damage to the surgical and intensive care wards. Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal initially put the toll at four dead, and it rose to six as rescue and recovery work continued. Nasser Hospital confirmed six deaths in a statement.
Medics identified a surgeon, Dr Rezik Abushira, as among the dead. The identities of the other victims have not been independently established.
The strike came during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Oct 10, 2025, after about two years of war that began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Each side has accused the other of violating the agreement. Gaza health authorities say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since it began.
On June 5, 2025, the World Health Organization described Nasser as the most important referral hospital left in Gaza. It said Nasser and Al-Amal were the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, and that Nasser was running at 180 percent of its bed capacity. At that time, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals were partially functional.
Nasser was also the site of an Israeli attack on Aug 25, 2025, that killed at least 20 people, including five journalists. They were Hussam Al-Masri, a Reuters contractor, Mohammed Salama of Al Jazeera, and freelancers Mariam Abu Dagga, Ahmed Abu Aziz and Moaz Abu Taha. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for an independent investigation, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a prompt and impartial one.
Under international humanitarian law, hospitals have special protection, which does not end because fighting is nearby. The International Committee of the Red Cross says a facility can lose it only if used outside its humanitarian function to commit acts harmful to the enemy, and in cases of doubt it is presumed not to be so used. Attackers must also take feasible precautions to limit civilian harm and weigh expected harm against the anticipated military advantage.
