Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills surgeon and at least five others

An Israeli airstrike on a hospital in southern Gaza on Thursday claimed the lives of at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon, and left around 20 others injured. The attack targeted the surgery department on the second floor of the Al Yasin building within the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, resulting in significant damage.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. Dr. Rezik Abushira, the surgeon, was identified among the casualties, according to medics who reported images of collapsed ceilings, dangling cables, and debris scattered across damaged rooms within the hospital. This tragedy follows a series of Israeli strikes across Gaza on Tuesday, which claimed at least seven more lives, including Fadi Rajab and his 13-year-old son, Abubakr, who were killed when an airstrike hit a displacement shelter in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood.

A third Palestinian was killed in an attack near a school in Gaza City's Daraj neighborhood. Additional fatalities occurred later in the day when three Palestinians were killed in a strike on a metal foundry in the Sabra neighborhood, and one more was killed by Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis. The ongoing conflict is taking place amidst ongoing disagreements regarding a US-brokered ceasefire that went into effect in October 2025, aiming for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza.

Negotiations have been stalled over Hamas’s disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal. Israel currently controls approximately two-thirds of the territory, with residents being ordered to evacuate areas under its control. Since the ceasefire began, at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel reports that four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period. Over 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s military offensive began in October 2023, as per Palestinian authorities. The offensive followed the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 fatalities.