On Sunday night, an Israeli airstrike targeted the largest hospital in southern Gaza, killing five individuals, including a Hamas political leader. The Gaza health ministry confirmed the strike hit the surgery department at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. Israeli military authorities claimed the attack was based on extensive intelligence and used precise munitions to minimize harm to the site. The targeted Hamas member, Ismail Barhoum, was reportedly being treated at the hospital for injuries sustained in a prior attack. The incident, captured on social media, showed a third-story fire raging through the facility. In response to these events, Palestinian health authorities estimate that Israeli strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 65 people in Gaza over the past 24 hours. This marks the second such attack on a healthcare facility in Gaza within three days, following Israel’s destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital, Gaza’s sole specialized cancer treatment center, which had been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes since October 2023. Medical professionals like Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, a volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), recounted the chaos and immediate response to the attack, highlighting the vulnerability of healthcare facilities. MAP’s CEO, Steve Cutts, condemned the attack, noting that this is not an isolated incident and indicates a concerning pattern of targeting healthcare facilities by Israeli forces, posing significant risks to medical staff and patients alike. The Israeli government has accused Hamas of using hospitals as strategic military locations, a claim denied by Hamas. As the conflict in Gaza intensifies, with Israel launching a new military campaign and the death toll surpassing 50,000, tensions escalate. The Israeli prime minister aims to dismantle Hamas as a military and governing entity, with significant protests within Israel over government actions and potential firings of top security and legal figures.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/23/israeli-strike-at-gaza-hospital-kills-five-including-hamas-political-leader