The key facts

  • The strike destroyed the surgical department, operating rooms, post-operative wards and the intensive care unit of Nasser Hospital
  • Gaza's health ministry named general surgeon Rizk Abu Shaira among the dead
  • The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying the target was a Hamas commander, but provided no evidence

What happened

An Israeli strike hit Nasser Hospital in Gaza — one of the few still functioning medical facilities in the enclave. The surgical department was destroyed, and the operating rooms, post-operative wards and intensive care unit were damaged. Footage from the scene shows collapsed ceilings, twisted metal and debris scattered across medical equipment and beds. Rescue workers were clearing the rubble, while relatives of the dead prayed over bodies outside the hospital.

The dead and the Israeli military's version

Gaza's health ministry named one of the dead — general surgeon Rizk Abu Shaira. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike and said the target was a senior Hamas commander and other militants who, according to it, were operating from the hospital. The military provided no evidence for these claims. Hamas itself has repeatedly denied accusations of using hospitals for military purposes.

Context: a health system under attack

According to the WHO, 1,056 attacks on medical facilities and personnel have been documented in Gaza since October 2023, killing 1,010 people and wounding 1,725. The organization warned that the approaching winter — rain, flooding and cold — could worsen the humanitarian crisis, especially as water and sewage systems remain heavily damaged. The WHO again called for unimpeded humanitarian access and the protection of medical facilities.

The legal aspect

Under international humanitarian law, hospitals and medical personnel are protected, but a facility may lose that protection if it is used for acts harmful to the enemy — under strict conditions. Israel cites precisely such accusations to justify strikes on medical facilities; Hamas denies them. What happened to the claimed Hamas commander as a result of the strike is unclear from available information.