Strike on Gaza hospital kills surgeon, child despite ceasefire
Six people died in an overnight attack on Nasser Hospital, including a doctor featured in a recent documentary and a 13-year-old boy.
By Andrew Bennett ·
Gaza’s healthcare network has been reduced to a small fraction of its former capacity after years of conflict. An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed at least six people overnight, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry on Thursday.
The attack hit a surgery building at the facility. Health officials stated that medical staff and patients were among the dead. The casualties included a surgeon and a 13-year-old boy. The Israeli military said it was targeting a Hamas commander and other militants.
Debris covered hospital wards, and ceilings collapsed inside the building. Nasser Hospital is one of the few functioning medical facilities left in the enclave. The strike occurred despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire that has been in place since October of last year.
Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, a Palestinian surgeon, was killed in the blast. He was featured in the 2026 documentary “American Doctor,” which followed three American doctors providing care in Gaza. Watermelon Pictures, the film’s distributor, called the killing devastating. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the director general of the Health Ministry, told mourners that Abu Shaira was rescuing the wounded throughout the war. He added that the doctor was always proud to save lives.
The hospital also identified the death of a 13-year-old boy named Jihad Naeem Muhammad Abu Tilikh. A woman named Tahani Ibrahim Abu Anza said her 53-year-old brother, Khaled Abu Anza, was also killed. She said he was at the hospital for physical therapy after surgery. She stated that he came for medical treatment, not to engage in combat.
The Israeli military and the Israel Security Agency identified the senior target as Muhammad Abu Ismail. They described him as the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. The agencies said Hamas used the hospital complex as a command center and stored weapons there. They shared photos of alleged weapons found in the complex. The IDF said it was investigating reports that medical workers and patients were killed.
Hamas called the allegations that it used the hospital for military operations lies. The group labeled the attack a war crime. The Israeli military said it used precision munitions and aerial surveillance to limit harm to civilians. Media reports suggested that a commander with the same name as Abu Anza was also killed. The IDF said it would review whether he was directly targeted.
Nasser Hospital was struck in August 2025 in a double tap attack that killed at least 20 people. That incident included the deaths of journalists and health workers. The World Health Organization reports that only two of Gaza’s 37 hospitals are fully functioning. More than 1,600 people have died since the truce began. Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed in that period. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement.
