Israel bombs Gaza’s Nasser Hospital again, killing patients

At least five people were killed and several others wounded when an Israeli air strike targeted Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Sunday night.

The attack destroyed a large section of the hospital, forcing the evacuation of an entire department, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The Israeli military admitted to carrying out the bombing, justifying it by claiming it was aimed at “terrorists.”

Among those killed was Ismail Barhoum, a senior Hamas political figure, who was receiving treatment at the hospital for wounds sustained in an earlier Israeli strike.

Hamas denounced the attack as a “cowardly Zionist assassination” and accused Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian leaders, civilians, and Gaza’s already devastated healthcare system.

Israeli air strikes have repeatedly hit hospitals across Gaza, leaving many unable to function. Rights groups and legal experts have condemned these attacks as flagrant violations of international law.

Palestinian Civil Defence crews said they had extinguished a large fire caused by the bombing.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its assault on Khan Younis, launching relentless air strikes since it broke the ceasefire on 18 March, killing hundreds.

Repeat attacks on Nasser Hospital

This is not the first time Israel has attacked Nasser Hospital.

From February through April 2024, Israeli forces besieged the medical complex, turning it into a site of mass killing.

In early February, medical staff reported that Israeli snipers were shooting at them inside the hospital, while dozens of civilians were killed just outside.

United Nations officials overseeing evacuations at the time described Nasser Hospital as a “place of death.” When Israeli forces withdrew in April, Palestinian rescue workers uncovered a mass grave containing more than 300 bodies. A civil defence official said that some of the corpses bore signs of torture.

Among those killed during the siege were women, children, and medical workers—Palestinians who sought shelter in a hospital only to be met with Israeli bombs and bullets.

On Sunday alone, Israeli air strikes across Gaza killed at least 46 people, with most of the deaths reported in Khan Younis and Rafah.