At least five people were killed and 20 others injured early Thursday when an Israeli airstrike hit the surgical department of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, according to the Gaza Civil Defence agency. The attack, which struck the second floor of the Al-Yasin building, caused severe destruction to both the surgical wards and intensive care units, forcing a disruption of essential medical services at the largest hospital in the southern Gaza Strip.
What are the details of the attack?
The airstrike occurred during the early hours of Thursday, with witnesses reporting that a single missile was deployed from a warplane passing over the region. The projectile impacted the Al-Yasin building, which houses critical infrastructure for the hospital. Following the impact, emergency responders from the Gaza Civil Defence service arrived to clear rubble and recover casualties from the damaged surgical and intensive care departments. Medics have confirmed that a surgeon, identified as Dr. Rezik Abushira, was among the deceased. Images captured at the scene show significant structural failure within the facility, including collapsed ceilings, tangled electrical wiring, and medical equipment left in disarray among the debris.
"The strike hit the surgery department on the second floor of the Al Yasin building inside Nasser Medical Complex, causing extensive damage," stated Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal as reported by The National.
How do death tolls and casualty counts vary?
Reporting on the casualty figures from the incident remains inconsistent across various media outlets and humanitarian agencies. While the BBC and The Hindu initially reported a death toll of at least five, other sources including Anadolu Ajansı and Arab News stated that six Palestinians were killed. NewsCord noted that some accounts of the tragedy climbed to six fatalities with approximately 30 people injured, while other early dispatches from the same outlet mentioned four deaths. The hospital director reported that the impact resulted in extensive destruction to critical wards, further complicating the emergency medical response required to treat those wounded in the blast.
What is the context of the ongoing conflict?
This strike occurs during a period of sustained tension despite a ceasefire agreement that was established in October 2025. According to reports cited by NewsCord and Anadolu Ajansı, the ceasefire has been subject to repeated violations that have resulted in the deaths of 1,622 Palestinians since the truce officially began. The broader humanitarian crisis in the enclave continues to deteriorate, exacerbated by severe weather conditions that have flooded displacement camps, and a severe shortage of essential supplies. The United Nations has previously estimated that the total cost for reconstruction in Gaza could reach $71.4 billion, given that roughly 90% of the territory's infrastructure has been destroyed since the hostilities began in October 2023. During this period, the health ministry in Gaza reports that over 74,600 people have been killed, with the United Nations viewing these figures as reliable sources for assessing the scale of the crisis.
What is still unclear?
Several aspects of the operation remain unverified or contested by the involved parties. There has been no formal statement from the Israeli military regarding the specific target or purpose of the strike on the Nasser Medical Complex, though Israeli Army Radio claimed the action was an "assassination operation" without providing further substantiating evidence. While local activists have circulated allegations that the facility may have been utilized by a senior Hamas security figure, these claims have not been confirmed by independent observers. Furthermore, the Israel Defense Forces have not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident. It remains unclear how the military justifies the strike on the surgical department, especially in light of the ongoing ceasefire framework which both Hamas and Israel continue to publicly discuss while accusing one another of undermining the agreement's terms. No date or specific follow-up actions regarding an investigation into the hospital attack have been announced by any international monitoring bodies as of Thursday.
Sources: This report draws on coverage by BBC News, NewsCord, Al Jazeera, The National, Anadolu Ajansı, The New York Times, Reuters, Middle East Eye. The wording is our own.
