An Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis killed at least six people, including a general surgeon and a 13-year-old boy, in the early hours of Thursday, November 12, 2026.
The strike caused extensive damage to the hospital’s surgical department, leaving dozens wounded and further straining a healthcare system that has faced years of conflict.
The attack hit the surgical wing of the hospital, which remains one of the few functioning medical facilities for an estimated 500,000 residents in southern Gaza.
Among the dead was Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, a 52-year-old general surgeon who had recently been featured in the documentary “American Doctor.” According to hospital staff, Dr. Abu Shaira was killed alongside one of his own patients. A 13-year-old boy, identified as Jihad Naeem Muhammad Abu Tilikh, was also among those confirmed dead by hospital officials.
Israel Targets Hamas Commander in Khan Younis Strike
The Israeli military said that the strike targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, identified as a commander of the Hamas Khan Younis Brigade. The military alleged that Hamas had stored weapons within the complex and conducted interrogations and torture from inside the facility. According to the IDF, the strike was intended to eliminate a threat as militants were advancing plans against Israeli civilians and troops.
The military did not immediately confirm the specific status of the targeted commander following the strike. Meanwhile, Palestinian media and local sources reported that Khaled Abu Anza, also described in some reports as a commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, was killed in the strike. According to Palestinian sources, Murad Abu Zarifa, who was among the deceased, was part of the group that abducted Adina Moshe from Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Hamas rejected the Israeli military’s claims, describing the strike as a fully fledged war crime and a “flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.” Hamas officials labeled the Israeli assertion that the hospital served as a military headquarters a “blatant attempt to justify a heinous crime targeting a civilian medical facility.” Dr.
Damage to Surgical Infrastructure
Naseem Hassan, a paramedic at the site, described two missiles hitting the roof of a four-story building, penetrating the third floor and exploding within the surgery ward. Hospital director Raed al-Dahshan said that the missile passed through several floors, causing widespread destruction to equipment and infrastructure.
Goher Rahbour, a British surgeon volunteering at the hospital, reported that the explosion occurred just after 12:30 a.m. “It was extremely smoky,” Rahbour said, noting that the recovery area on the fourth floor had been reduced to rubble.
He had been operating with Dr. Abu Shaira just hours before the incident. “He was always proud to save lives,” colleagues noted, while Dr. Thaer Ahmad, who also appeared in the “American Doctor” documentary, posted on social media that the surgeon “lost his life doing that.”
Strike Wounds 28 People Amid Ongoing Hospital Attacks
At least 28 people were wounded in the strike, according to hospital directorates. The incident follows a long history of conflict surrounding the site; Nasser Hospital has been targeted multiple times since the war began on October 7, 2023.
The ongoing violence occurs against the backdrop of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025. Medical Aid for Palestinians, which supports departments at the hospital, stated the attack was “yet another indication that the so-called 'ceasefire' has brought neither safety nor an end to Israel's attacks on Gaza's healthcare system.”
The term “medicide” has been used by United Nations experts to describe the way Gaza’s health infrastructure has been destroyed. Reports provided by the European Union, World Bank, and United Nations indicate that since the start of the conflict, more than 1,800 medical facilities in Gaza have been destroyed either completely or partially.
As winter sets in, heavy rains and flooding have further complicated the conditions for the two million residents of the enclave, with humanitarian organizations reporting that the lack of adequate shelter and medical services continues to multiply the dangers facing the population.
