Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills Hamas leader, teen, officials say

An Israeli airstrike targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing a senior Hamas political official and a 16-year-old boy, according to Hamas and Palestinian health officials.

Hamas confirmed that Ismail Barhoum, a member of its political bureau, died while receiving medical treatment at the hospital. The group condemned the strike, labeling it a violation of international law and part of Israel’s systematic attacks against Palestinian leadership and civilians.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz acknowledged Barhoum was the intended target. The Israeli military stated that the strike was carried out using precision munitions following extensive intelligence gathering, alleging that Hamas exploits civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, for military purposes.

The attack on Barhoum occurred just hours after Hamas reported that another political bureau member, Salah al-Bardawil, and his wife were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tent shelter in Khan Younis. Since Tuesday, Israel has assassinated four Hamas political leaders as it resumes large-scale military operations in Gaza.

Footage from Nasser Hospital captured the moment of the strike, showing flames erupting from the building’s upper floors. Al Jazeera reporters on the ground confirmed that at least eight others were wounded in the attack. Doctors at the hospital spent hours extinguishing fires and assessing the damage, which included the destruction of the surgical ward for male patients.

Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon at Nasser Hospital, revealed that the teenage victim had recently undergone surgery and was close to recovery before the strike killed him. He described the extensive damage to the hospital, noting that the ward’s electrical system, doors, and windows were obliterated, rendering the facility unusable.

The attack comes amid a broader escalation of violence. Palestinian health officials report that over 600 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on Gaza. The official death toll in the region has surpassed 50,000, though experts suggest the actual number could be even higher.