Doctor among six Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital

An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed six people and wounded at least a dozen more, the health ministry said.The strike was carried out early Thursday, according to the Israeli military, which said it struck “a senior Hamas terrorist”, without providing evidence.Gaza’s health ministry said the airstrike hit the hospital’s surgery department and that a doctor was among the dead. An Associated Press journalist at the scene said parts of the building’s second floor were destroyed. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is one of the few remaining medical facilities in Gaza, whose healthcare infrastructure lies decimated by three years of Israeli bombardment. British surgeon Dr Goher Rahbour, who is volunteering at Nasser Hospital in Gaza with the group IDEALS, said the entire building shook as the Israeli missiles smashed into a level of the complex which houses six surgical theatres.At least six people were killed including a prominent surgeon, Dr Rizq Abu Shaira, he continued.“I was operating with him up until about 8:00 PM… he was killed just a few hours later. He was very lovely, affable guy. A very gentle soul,” Dr Rahbour told The Independent, audibly shaken.“Initially there was a lot of toxic choking fumes. We put on face masks and went to the recovery area in the theatre complex, which was completely destroyed,” He continued.He said the damage is so extensive it has drastically impacted the hospital’s ability to function. Six of the theatres are now out of bounds. Nasser is the last remaining hospital in south Gaza.“There was concrete, rubble dust all over the place, making them completely unusable. It makes no sense,”“In the last week we have had torrential downpours, flooding, impacting 70,000 tents. On Sunday I operated on a 26-year-old woman, eight months pregnant, who was shot three kilometres from the yellow line, a horrific case.“And now you’ve got this,” he added.“You have to question what on earth is going on. What is the motive? Why are you killing doctors and medical staff?”Nasser hospital has been repeatedly targeted over the years despite being a protected building under international law. In August 2025 an Israeli double tap attack on an eastern and northern external stairwell killed at least 22 people, including Independent Arabia journalist Mariam Abu Dagga, several medics and first responders. The Independent’s year long investigation into the attack revealed evidence of potential war crimes (which Israel refutes).The Israeli military have accused Hamas of operating from hospital facilities including Nasser - an accusation vehemently denied by hospital staff, and international medics and organisations volunteering there.