What changed
An Israeli airstrike hit a building at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza early Thursday, killing at least five Palestinians and injuring 20, according to Gaza Civil Defence. The building housed surgical wards and intensive-care units; a surgeon was reportedly among the dead.
Israel said the strike targeted a senior Hamas member and other militants allegedly using the hospital as a command centre. The presence of such a facility remains disputed, and the final death toll and extent of the hospital’s damage are still unclear.
Why it matters
This was not a strike on an empty structure. The reported impact reached the parts of Nasser Hospital where patients receive surgery and intensive care, scattering beds and medical equipment across the second floor. Nasser is the largest hospital in southern Gaza, so damage there threatens care well beyond the people inside the building when it was hit.
The incident also exposes how fragile the ceasefire has become. Israeli strikes have continued despite the agreement reached in October last year, while Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating it. More than 1,600 people have reportedly been killed since then, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Hospitals have protected status under international law. Israel says Hamas has used medical facilities for weapons storage and command operations, while Hamas denies that. That dispute now sits alongside a practical question: whether Nasser can keep its surgical and intensive-care services functioning after the strike. Recovery work is being carried out by Gaza Civil Defence, with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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