Early on a Thursday morning, a single missile struck the surgical and intensive care wards of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, leaving at least five dead, a surgeon among them, and about twenty wounded. It is one more fracture in a place where the walls meant to heal have repeatedly become targets, and where the hospital, the largest in the south, has already once been struck with lethal force. The cause remains unsettled: Israel has not yet answered, local voices speak of a Hamas security figure, and no independent observer can yet confirm what was hit or why, a silence that its
Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis kills at least five, Gaza civil defence says
At least five Palestinians were killed, including a surgeon, and about twenty others were injured when the hospital building was struck.
A single missile struck the building housing the surgical wards and intensive care
Mark
Start with what we actually know. What happened at Nasser Hospital?
Mimi
Early Thursday, a missile from a warplane hit a building housing surgical wards and intensive care units. Civil Defence says at least five people died and twenty were hurt. A surgeon is reported among the dead.
Luke
Reported is the key word. The toll comes from the Hamas-run Civil Defence, and the BBC says it can't verify details independently.
Mark
The numbers already differ, don't they?
Mimi
Yes. Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told AFP six were killed earlier. The BBC's account says at least five. That gap is a sign the count is still being settled.
Luke
And one missile from a plane is what eyewitnesses describe. That's testimony, not a confirmed account of the weapon.
Mark
What about the claim that a Hamas figure was the target?
Mimi
Local activists circulated it. Israel often says Hamas uses hospitals militarily, and Hamas denies that.
Luke
Right, and the claim is unconfirmed. The Israeli military hasn't responded, so there's no stated target from the side that carried out the strike. Anything beyond that would be guessing.
Mark
Why does the ceasefire context matter?
Mimi
Because strikes have continued since October last year. The health ministry counts more than 1,600 dead since then, and each side accuses the other of violating the truce.
Luke
That figure is the ministry's, though the UN considers its numbers reliable. What we still lack is any independent account of this specific strike.
El Pulso
- A single missile tore through the surgical and intensive care wards of Nasser Hospital, leaving smoke-filled corridors and beds scattered by the blast.
- At least five people are dead, including a surgeon, and around twenty more are injured in a hospital that is already stretched past its limits.
- Civil Defence crews are digging through the rubble while reporters gather conflicting tolls of five and six, and no outside investigator can enter to verify the scene.
- Claims that the strike targeted a senior Hamas security figure are circulating without confirmation, while the Israeli military has yet to respond.
- The strike lands in the fragile shadow of an October ceasefire that has already claimed more than 1,600 lives, leaving the path toward calm uncertain.
Early on a Thursday morning, a single missile struck the surgical and intensive care wards of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, leaving at least five dead, a surgeon among them, and about twenty wounded. It is one more fracture in a place where the walls meant to heal have repeatedly become targets, and where the hospital, the largest in the south, has already once been struck with lethal force. The cause remains unsettled: Israel has not yet answered, local voices speak of a Hamas security figure, and no independent observer can yet confirm what was hit or why, a silence that itself weighs heavily on a truce that was supposed to hold.
A single missile struck a building at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early on Thursday, hitting the surgical wards and intensive care units. Civil Defence officials said at least five people were killed and about twenty injured, and a surgeon was among the dead. The figures differ slightly between officials, and the BBC cannot independently verify the details because Israel bars independent reporting from inside Gaza.
Videos from the scene showed thick smoke and heavy destruction on the second floor, where beds and medical equipment had been thrown across the rooms. The director of the Nasser Medical Complex described a vertical strike that caused extensive damage to both the men's and women's intensive care and surgical departments.
The Israeli military has not yet responded. Local activists have claimed the strike aimed at a senior Hamas security figure inside the building, but those claims are unconfirmed. Israel has long accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, a charge Hamas denies.
Nasser is the largest hospital in southern Gaza, and it was struck before, in August 2025, when a double strike killed at least 20 people. This attack comes during a ceasefire from October that has not stopped the killing, with more than 1,600 deaths reported since it began. Civilians also face worsening conditions, as heavy rains have flooded tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced families.
The central questions now are whether Israel will respond, whether it will name a target, and whether anyone independent can establish what was hit and who died.
A single missile, fired from a warplane that eyewitnesses say passed briefly over the area, struck a building at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, early on Thursday. The building housed the hospital's surgical wards and intensive care units. An official from Gaza's Civil Defence agency told the BBC that at least five Palestinians were killed and twenty others were injured.
A surgeon is reported to be among the dead. Earlier, Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal gave the news agency AFP a slightly higher toll, saying six people had been killed. The figures differ, and the BBC says it cannot verify the details of the incident, because Israel prevents it from reporting independently from inside the Gaza Strip.
Videos shared by activists showed thick smoke inside the building and heavy destruction on the second floor, where medical equipment and beds had been thrown about by the blast. The director of the Nasser Medical Complex, speaking to reporters afterward, said the building had been hit in a vertical strike. He said it caused extensive damage to the intensive care and surgical departments, both the men's and the women's.
The Israeli military has not responded so far. The BBC has contacted the Israel Defense Forces for comment. Local activists have circulated claims that the strike may have been aimed at a senior Hamas security figure hiding inside the building. Those claims are unconfirmed. Israel has often accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, and Hamas denies this. The source notes that Hamas continues to hold its weapons and maintain security control over Gaza.
The Civil Defence carries out rescue and recovery work in Gaza and operates under the Hamas-run interior ministry. Its efforts have been supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Nasser Hospital is the largest in southern Gaza and has been hit before. In August 2025, a double Israeli strike on it killed at least 20 people, among them journalists and health workers.
The latest strike comes during a ceasefire agreed in October last year, which has not stopped the violence. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable, says more than 1,600 people have been killed since the truce began. Israel and Hamas each accuse the other of violating it.
Conditions for civilians have also worsened. Recent heavy rains have reportedly flooded tens of thousands of tents sheltering displaced families.
The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Since then, the health ministry says, more than 74,645 people have been killed in Gaza.
What to watch now is whether the Israeli military responds, whether it identifies a target, and whether anyone independent can verify what the strike hit and who died.
Citas Notables
Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal earlier told AFP that six people had been killed.— Mahmoud Basal, Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson
The building was hit in a vertical strike, causing extensive damage to the intensive care and surgical departments.— Director of Nasser Medical Complex (paraphrased)
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