Gaza health and civil-defence officials said an Israeli airstrike early Thursday hit Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, killing six people, including a surgeon, and wounding scores of others^1,3,4.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the strike struck the surgery department; The National reported he placed it on the second floor of the Al Yasin building inside the Nasser Medical Complex^1,5.

Gaza's health ministry identified the dead surgeon as Rizk Abu Shaira, also rendered Rezik Abushira, and said attacking a medical facility with patients and staff violated protections for hospitals^4,5.

The Israeli military later said it had targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, whom it described as commander of Hamas's Khan Yunis brigade, and other militants it said were operating inside the hospital, and accused Hamas of using the site as a command center^2,3,4.

CNA, citing AFP, said Abu Ismail's death was not confirmed and that his name did not appear on a civil-defence list of victims; Hamas denied military use of the hospital and called the strike a war crime^2,4.

Casualty counts differ by outlet and hour: CBS cited at least a dozen wounded, BBC at least 20, and CNA nearly 30, with some reports putting Thursday's Gaza-wide death toll at 11^1,2,3.

BBC said it could not verify details independently because it is prevented from reporting from inside Gaza¹.

The hospital has been struck before, including a 2025 attack that killed journalists and health workers, outlets noted^1,2,3.