The Israeli military said it had targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, whom it identified as the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, along with other militants allegedly operating inside the hospital complex. The military did not confirm whether the commander was killed.

Surgeon and child among those killed

Gaza health authorities identified the surgeon killed in the attack as Dr. Rizk Abu Shaira, who was working at the hospital when the strike hit. A 13-year-old boy was also among the dead.

The attack struck the building housing the hospital’s surgery department in Khan Younis. Medical personnel and witnesses described extensive destruction inside the facility, including damaged operating rooms, patient wards and medical equipment.

Reports on the number of wounded varied. The Associated Press reported at least 28 injured people, while other accounts cited figures of approximately 20 to more than 50. The differing totals had not been reconciled in the available reporting.

Israel says it targeted Hamas commander

The Israel Defense Forces said the operation targeted Abu Ismail and additional Hamas members allegedly hiding inside Nasser Hospital.

The military accused Hamas of using the hospital complex as a headquarters and for military activities. Hamas rejected the allegation that it was using the medical facility as an operational base. The Israeli military did not publicly provide evidence in the statements reported after the strike to substantiate its claims.

The competing accounts leave questions about the alleged military presence at the hospital unresolved. The available information also does not establish whether the intended target was among those killed.

Hospital suspends critical medical services

The strike heavily damaged the surgical wing, forcing the suspension of operations and affecting other hospital departments, including radiology and laboratory services.

Nasser Medical Complex is a major referral facility for southern Gaza, providing emergency treatment, surgery and specialist care. Its disruption adds pressure to a healthcare system already operating with severe shortages of medical supplies and limited functioning facilities.

Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, said the attack killed six people, including a surgeon and a child, and injured 52 others. The organisation said no warning was given before the strike and stressed that damage to the hospital would deprive civilians of essential medical services.

Hospital protection and competing claims

Hospitals and medical personnel receive special protection under international humanitarian law. That protection can be affected if a medical facility is used for acts harmful to the enemy outside its humanitarian function, subject to legal conditions and safeguards.

The Israeli military’s allegation that Hamas operated from the complex and the accounts from hospital personnel therefore remain important to any assessment of the circumstances. The available reports do not establish an independent finding that the hospital had lost its protected status or that the strike complied with the applicable legal requirements.

The attack occurred despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Israeli strikes and other violence have continued in Gaza since the agreement, with Palestinian health authorities reporting further deaths.

The immediate consequences of the strike include the deaths of patients and medical personnel and the loss of surgical capacity at one of southern Gaza’s major hospitals. The full extent of the damage and the circumstances surrounding the attack remain subjects of scrutiny.

Primary Sources: Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, statements on the November 12, 2026, strike at Nasser Medical Complex, identifying six fatalities, including a physician and a school-age child, and describing damage to the surgery department; the statements were reported by the Qatar News Agency and other contemporaneous sources, but the original ministry release was not independently retrieved. Israel Defense Forces, November 12, 2026, public statement identifying Muhammad Abu Ismail as the intended target and alleging that Hamas members were operating from the hospital complex; the original statement was not independently retrieved, and its claims are attributed to the military rather than treated as independently established facts. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, November 12, 2026, statement condemning the strike and reporting six deaths and 52 injuries, including damage to the hospital’s surgical building.

The post Israeli Strike on Gaza’s Nasser Hospital Kills Six, Including Doctor and Child appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Early Tuesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a precise airstrike targeting key Hamas operatives inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Among those killed was Hassan Eslaiah, a Palestinian photojournalist whom Israel accuses of operating as a member of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade under the cover of journalism.

Hamas Command Center Hidden Inside Hospital

The IDF described the hospital compound as a command center used by Hamas terrorists to plan and launch attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. This strike was part of a broader campaign targeting Hamas leadership embedded within civilian infrastructure.

Nasser Hospital has been at the center of previous strikes. In March, the IDF targeted the same facility and killed senior Hamas official Ismail Barhoum, who was involved in managing Hamas’s finances and succeeded the group’s de facto Gaza prime minister, Issam Da’alis, also killed in that strike.

The IDF condemned Hamas for cynically using civilian sites like hospitals as shields for their terror activities, putting innocent lives at risk.

Hassan Eslaiah’s Controversial Role

Hassan Eslaiah’s death has drawn significant attention. Though widely known as a freelance photojournalist with his work circulated globally, Israeli authorities say Eslaiah was more than a journalist — labeling him a Hamas operative. Videos and photos posted by Eslaiah during the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion of Israel showed him accompanying armed militants as they stormed Kibbutz Nir Oz, where many civilians, including children, were killed or kidnapped.

In November 2023, major news agencies including the Associated Press and CNN cut ties with Eslaiah following concerns raised by watchdog groups about his connections to Hamas. His photographs from that day were removed from official feeds.

The Israeli military has frequently accused Hamas of exploiting journalists as cover for terror operations, embedding operatives within hospitals, schools, and aid organizations.

Civilian Protection and Military Strategy

The IDF emphasized it took “numerous steps” to minimize civilian casualties during the strike, using precision munitions, aerial surveillance, and extensive intelligence. The strike came after a brief pause in military operations designed to facilitate the release of Israeli hostage Staff Sgt. Edan Alexander.

Preparing for a Major Offensive

Israel has been preparing for a large-scale offensive in Gaza, potentially to be launched if no hostage deal with Hamas is reached by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit on May 16. Terror groups in Gaza currently hold 58 hostages, including many abducted during the October 7 attacks.

The planned operation, called “Gideon’s Chariots,” aims to dismantle Hamas’s control over Gaza, secure humanitarian aid routes, and relocate Palestinian civilians toward the southern part of the Strip.

Key Points to Remember:

• Israel targeted Hamas operatives at Nasser Hospital, killing Hassan Eslaiah, accused of being a Hamas member posing as a journalist.
• The hospital was previously used by senior Hamas officials involved in terror financing and leadership.
• Eslaiah’s role has been questioned by international media agencies following his documented participation in the October 7 Hamas attack.
• The IDF stresses efforts to avoid civilian harm amid ongoing strikes on Hamas infrastructure.
• Israel is readying a major offensive if no hostage deal is reached soon, with plans to reclaim Gaza and weaken Hamas’s grip.

Source: The Times Of Israel – Israeli strike on hospital kills ‘journalist’ who invaded Israel with Hamas on Oct. 7

The post Israel Strikes Hamas Operatives at Gaza Hospital, Killing Journalist Hassan Eslaiah appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.