Rescuers say strike on Gaza hospital kills at least 6, injures 20

Strike hits hospital building

Eyewitnesses said a missile fired from a warplane struck a building at Nasser Hospital early on Thursday. The building housed surgical wards and intensive care units, and the Civil Defence spokesman said 20 people were injured.

A surgeon was reportedly among those killed. The director of Nasser Medical Complex said the building was hit in a vertical strike, damaging intensive care and surgical departments for men and women.

Conflicting death toll reports

An official from the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency told the BBC that at least five Palestinians had died. Earlier, spokesperson Mahmoud Basal told AFP that six people were killed.

The BBC said Israel prevents it from reporting independently inside Gaza and that it could not verify details of the incident. Videos shared by activists showed smoke and extensive destruction on the building’s second floor, with medical equipment and beds scattered by the blast.

Israel explains its target

The agencies said measures to reduce civilian harm included precision munitions and aerial surveillance. Israel accuses Hamas of storing weapons and operating command and control rooms in hospitals; Hamas denies those allegations.

Hospital protection and wider war

Hospitals have protected status under international law, but have been repeatedly targeted during the Gaza war. Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza, was hit in a double Israeli strike in August 2025 that killed at least 20 people, including journalists and health workers.

Israeli strikes have continued despite an October ceasefire agreement. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 1,600 people have been killed since then; Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.