ISLAMABAD (PEN) : A deadly Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, has claimed the lives of at least two individuals, including a senior Hamas official and a 16-year-old patient. The attack has sparked international condemnation, while worsening the already dire humanitarian situation in the region.
Hamas Leader Killed in Hospital Attack
According to Hamas and local health officials, Ismail Barhoum, a senior member of the group’s political bureau, was killed in the raid. Barhoum was reportedly undergoing treatment at Nasser Hospital at the time of the strike, which occurred late Sunday. Hamas quickly condemned the attack, calling it a violation of international law and accusing Israel of engaging in “systematic killing” of Palestinian leaders and civilians.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Barhoum was the intended target, justifying the operation by claiming that the strike was conducted using “precise munitions” after a careful intelligence-gathering process. The Israeli military further stated that Hamas had been using civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, as a cover for planning and executing terrorist activities, thus endangering the Gazan population.
Damage to Medical Facilities
The airstrike caused severe damage to the hospital, particularly to its surgical ward for male patients. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon volunteering at the hospital, confirmed that a 16-year-old boy, who had been his patient, was among those killed in the attack. Dr. Sidhwa had operated on the boy just days earlier and expressed heartbreak at the loss. “He probably would have gone home tomorrow, but now he’s dead,” Sidhwa said.
The strike left the surgical ward inoperable, with significant damage to the hospital’s electrical system, windows, and ceilings. Medical teams worked for hours to extinguish fires caused by the blast. Health workers warned that Gaza’s medical facilities were already overwhelmed, with critical supplies running low due to the ongoing blockade and the closure of border crossings for more than three weeks.
Escalation of Violence in Gaza
The attack on Nasser Hospital is part of an ongoing escalation in Gaza. Just hours before the hospital bombing, Hamas confirmed the death of Salah al-Bardawil, another senior leader, who was killed in an Israeli strike on a tent shelter in Khan Younis. The Israeli military has reportedly killed four members of Hamas’s political bureau in recent days, marking a significant increase in the scale of military operations following a deadlock in ceasefire negotiations.
As the violence continues, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens. Palestinian health officials report that more than 600 people have been killed since Israel resumed large-scale airstrikes on Gaza. Dozens of new casualties have been reported in the last 24 hours alone, with intense airstrikes in Beit Lahia in the north and Rafah in the south.
Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies
Footage from outside Nasser Hospital showed a fireball erupting from the upper floors of the building as an Al Jazeera correspondent prepared to go live. The images further underscored the dire situation in Gaza, where hospitals, like Nasser, are struggling to cope with the influx of casualties and the destruction of medical facilities.
With both sides accusing each other of violations, the conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, with no clear resolution in sight. The attack on Nasser Hospital serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing toll the violence is taking on both the civilian population and the already fragile medical infrastructure in the region.
