Israeli Strike on Nasser Hospital Kills Six in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli Security Agency conducted an overnight airstrike on the surgery department of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, on November 12, 2026. The strike killed at least six people, including a 13-year-old child and surgeon Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, and wounded between 20 and 40 others. The military stated the operation targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of the Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade, alleging that Hamas converted the medical complex into a command center used to store weapons and torture Gazans.

Hamas and the Gaza Ministry of Health denounced the attack as a war crime, denying that the facility was used for military purposes. The strike caused extensive damage to operating rooms, intensive care wards, and radiology departments. The incident occurred despite a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Footage from the scene identified one unexploded bomb as a US-manufactured GBU-39/B.

The attack highlights a broader crisis in Gaza's healthcare infrastructure, with reports that only 20 of 36 pre-war hospitals remain partially functional. Simultaneously, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office asserted that Hamas's refusal to disarm remains the primary obstacle to Gaza's reconstruction. This escalation coincides with political instability in Israel, where Gadi Eisenkot is attempting to form a government after Benjamin Netanyahu lost his mandate in recent elections.