An Israeli airstrike struck the surgery ward of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early on Thursday, killing at least six people, including a surgeon, and wounding more than 20 others, Gaza's civil defence said. The strike hit one of southern Gaza's most important medical facilities at dawn, as rescuers worked through rubble to reach people trapped inside, in the latest deadly blow to a Gaza hospital during a fragile ceasefire.

Key Points

• An Israeli airstrike hit the second floor of the Al-Yasin building at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis early Thursday, November 12, 2026, badly damaging the surgery and intensive care wards.
• Gaza's civil defence said at least six people were killed and more than 20 were wounded, after an initial toll of four to five dead, with rescuers still clearing rubble.
• One of the dead was identified as surgeon Rezik Abushira. The wounded include medical staff, patients and displaced families sheltering inside the hospital.
• The Israeli military had not commented as of Thursday morning. The attack followed deadly strikes on Wednesday that killed five Palestinians in Gaza City and the Bureij refugee camp.

What Happened

The airstrike hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in the early hours of Thursday, November 12, 2026. The missile struck the Al-Yasin building, hitting the surgery department on the second floor and badly damaging the surgery and intensive care wards, Gaza's civil defence said.

Civil defence teams rushed to the hospital as smoke rose from the damaged building. The first reports put the death toll at four or five; within hours it was revised to six killed and more than 20 wounded, and officials warned it could still change as rescuers searched the wreckage. Medics identified one of the dead as Rezik Abushira, a surgeon working at the hospital. The wounded included medical staff, patients in the surgery and intensive care wards, and displaced families sheltering inside the hospital grounds, which have become shelters as well as treatment centres for thousands with nowhere else to go.

Gaza civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal reported the strike to Reuters and AFP, giving the updated casualty figures as the rescue operation continued. The Israeli military had not issued any immediate comment, and it was not immediately clear what target it had aimed at.

Background: A Ceasefire Under Strain

The strike comes more than a year after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza on October 10, 2025, ending the main phase of a war that devastated the territory. The truce was meant to stop the fighting and open the way for hostages, aid and reconstruction, but it has been shaken by repeated strikes, raids and killings.

Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Gaza health officials say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since it began, while Israel says four of its soldiers have been killed. The large-scale bombardment of the war years has stopped, but deadly violence has continued almost daily. The political picture is also unresolved: Hamas has not surrendered its weapons, and a plan for an international stabilisation force is moving slowly, with Israel approving the first foreign troops only this week.

Nasser Hospital Strike Hits Gaza's Strained Health System

Nasser Hospital is the largest medical facility in southern Gaza and one of the most important hospitals in the territory. It has been a central hub for treating the wounded throughout the war, and it has been hit and raided before. The damage to its surgery and intensive care wards matters because Gaza's health system is already operating far beyond its limits, short of staff, medicines, fuel and equipment.

Strikes on hospitals carry a particular weight under the laws of war: medical facilities are protected, and attacks on them draw condemnation from the United Nations, the World Health Organization and aid groups. For the people of Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital is often the only place to turn for serious treatment. When a surgery ward is knocked out of action, operations are cancelled, intensive care beds disappear, and patients needing urgent surgery must be moved to other hospitals that are themselves overstretched.

Reactions and Official Statements

Gaza's civil defence was the first authority to report the strike, with spokesman Mahmoud Basal giving the casualty figures to Reuters and AFP. Gaza health officials have repeatedly condemned attacks on medical facilities and warned that the health system is close to collapse. The Israeli military had not commented as of Thursday morning. Israel has in the past said it targets Hamas fighters and infrastructure and accuses Hamas of operating from civilian buildings, including hospitals, a claim Hamas denies, but no such claim had been made about Nasser Hospital in connection with Thursday's strike.

Why It Matters

The strike matters first because of the lives it took: six people are dead, including a surgeon, and more than 20 are wounded, in a hospital that should have been one of the safest places in Gaza. It matters second because Nasser Hospital is a lifeline for southern Gaza, and every ward knocked out of service reduces the care available to hundreds of thousands of people in a health system already stretched to breaking point. It matters third because of what it says about the ceasefire: a truce that still sees hospitals struck and people killed every day is a truce in name only. The strike fits a pattern, following Wednesday's deadly strikes in Gaza City and Bureij.

What Happens Next

Rescuers will continue clearing rubble and searching for anyone still trapped, and the casualty toll may rise further. Hospital staff will assess the damage to the surgery and intensive care wards and work out how much capacity can be restored. The Israeli military may issue a statement, closely watched for an explanation of what was targeted and why a hospital building was hit. International bodies, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization, are likely to respond once the facts are confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nasser Hospital?
Nasser Hospital, also known as the Nasser Medical Complex, is in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and is the largest medical facility in the south of the territory.

How many people were killed in the strike?
Gaza's civil defence said at least six people were killed and more than 20 were wounded, revised upward from an initial report of four to five dead.

Who was among the dead?
Medics identified one of the dead as surgeon Rezik Abushira; the wounded included medical staff, patients and displaced families sheltering inside the hospital.

Has Israel commented on the strike?
No. The Israeli military had not issued any immediate comment as of Thursday morning, November 12, 2026.

Is there a ceasefire in Gaza?
Yes, one has been in effect since October 10, 2025, but both sides accuse each other of violating it. Gaza health officials say at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since it began.

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