Health ministry condemns raid as Israel cites militant use of hospitals
Khan Younis, Gaza — August 25: At least eight people were killed on Monday after an Israeli airstrike hit the upper floors of Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Officials said the attack struck the hospital’s fourth floor in what witnesses described as a “double-tap” strike — one missile hitting first, followed by another moments later, as emergency workers rushed to the scene.
The strike comes amid the 22-month-long conflict in Gaza, where hospitals have repeatedly come under fire. Nasser Hospital has endured months of bombardment, operating under severe shortages of medical supplies, electricity, and staff.
Israel’s military did not immediately comment on Monday’s strike. In earlier cases, it has defended operations on hospitals by claiming Hamas and other militant groups used medical complexes as cover for command centres and fighters. However, critics argue such attacks disproportionately endanger civilians seeking medical treatment.
A similar strike on the same hospital in June left three people dead and ten injured. At that time, Israel claimed it had targeted Hamas operatives allegedly running operations from within the facility, but no independent verification was provided.
According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 62,600 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. While the ministry does not separate combatants from civilians, it says nearly half of the victims are women and children. The United Nations and several international monitoring groups have described the ministry’s data as the most reliable available, though Israel disputes the figures without releasing its own.
Monday’s attack highlights the continued vulnerability of Gaza’s healthcare system, already overwhelmed by casualties and shortages. International aid groups have repeatedly warned that the repeated strikes on hospitals risk collapsing the last lifelines for civilians trapped in the conflict.
With the latest raid, questions are once again being raised about proportionality, civilian protection, and the rules of war — even as both sides remain locked in a prolonged cycle of violence.
