At least six Palestinians were killed and 20 others wounded when an Israeli air strike hit Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis early on Thursday, November 12. The attack struck the hospital's surgical buildings at about 1 am local time, killing a surgeon, a child and patients.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified one of those killed as Dr Rizq Abu Shaira, a 53-year-old surgeon. Local media reported that he was treating patients when the attack occurred. A disabled patient was also among the dead. Those wounded included patients and medical workers, with women and children among the casualties.
Two missiles hit the building's roof, passed through the third floor and exploded on the second floor, according to The New York Times. A hospital official reported extensive damage to intensive care and surgical wards, including the male and female departments. The surgical ward subsequently had to stop operating.
Nasser remains only partly functional and is under severe pressure, but it is the last major referral hospital still operating in southern Gaza. The health ministry condemned the strike as a flagrant breach of international law, saying attacks on medical facilities deepen the suffering of sick and wounded people and threaten the health sector's remaining capacity.
The Israeli military confirmed carrying out the strikes. It said its targets were a senior operative and other Hamas members whom it accused of hiding at Nasser Hospital. Ynet reported that the intended target was Khaled Abu Anza, described by the outlet as the commander of Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade. Middle East Eye said it could not independently verify the reports.
In recent months, the Israeli military has accused Hamas of using Nasser Hospital for military activities. It has made similar allegations about hospitals since the war began in 2023, often before attacking them. Hamas has repeatedly rejected those accusations and said on Thursday that the claims about Nasser were intended to justify systematic attacks on healthcare.
Hamas also blamed the body referred to as the Board of Peace for the attack. It argued that international silence and the failure to halt Israeli violations had allowed Israel to continue acting with impunity.
According to the World Health Organization, 94 percent of Gaza's hospitals have been partially or completely destroyed. Israeli forces have also killed and abducted hundreds of healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses. Nasser, Gaza's second-largest medical complex before the war, has been attacked at least seven times since October 2023.
An Israeli double-tap attack on Nasser in August 2025 killed 20 people, including Palestinian journalists, medical personnel and first responders. Middle East Eye contributors Mohamed Salama and Ahmed Abu Aziz were among those killed. International law experts have said that attack may have constituted war crimes.
