An Israeli airstrike hit a hospital in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of a senior Hamas leader and an aide on Sunday evening, a Hamas official informed the BBC.
Ismail Barhoum, responsible for Hamas’s financial matters, was killed during the strike on Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in Khan Younis.
The official stated that Barhoum had been receiving treatment at the hospital after being injured in a previous airstrike four days prior.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that it targeted a key Hamas member operating within the hospital grounds, following an extensive intelligence-gathering process, and using “precise munitions” to minimize harm.
The Hamas-run health ministry reported that “many others,” including medical personnel, were injured in the airstrike.
Following the strike, the affected hospital department was evacuated, and a large portion of the facility was destroyed, according to the ministry.
BBC-verified footage displayed individuals attempting to put out a fire caused by the strike.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using hospitals as weapon hiding places and command centers, allegations that Hamas denies.
In a separate Israeli airstrike on Sunday, another Hamas leader, Salah al-Bardaweel, was killed in Khan Younis, an official told the BBC.
As of Sunday morning, before the hospital strike, at least 30 people were reported killed in Khan Younis and Rafah, the health ministry stated.
Israel resumed its military operations in Gaza on 18 March, breaking a nearly two-month-long ceasefire. Numerous individuals have lost their lives due to strikes since then.
Israel blamed Hamas for rejecting a new US proposal to extend the truce, while Hamas accused Israel of abandoning the original agreement made in January.
The conflict’s origin can be traced back to a Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which led to the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and the abduction of 251 others.
In response to the attack, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza aimed at eliminating Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 individuals, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
