The Nasser Hospital, located in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, was recently targeted by an Israeli attack that left at least 20 people dead, including five journalists, medical staff and rescuers who came after a first shelling. The operation was carried out under the “double-impact” tactic, which caused a second explosion minutes after the first attack, directly hitting relief teams.
The IDF stated that the target was a camera allegedly set up by Hamas in the vicinity of the hospital, allegedly used to observe troop movements. However, humanitarian organizations have questioned this justification, alleging that the attack on a functioning medical facility constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.
Under international pressure, the Chief of Staff, Major General Eyal Zamir, ordered an internal investigation to clarify “several gaps” in the operative’s decision-making process. According to the army, the attack was carried out with tank shells and not with precision weapons such as snipers or drones, which has generated questions even within the military ranks themselves.
Zamir asked to investigate whether the appropriate protocols were followed to authorize an attack on a sensitive infrastructure such as a hospital, since these decisions require the approval of a high-ranking officer, which is suspected not to have occurred in this case.
The army claimed that “the troops acted to eliminate a threat” and that six of the twenty dead were identified as members of Hamas. Despite this accusation, the lack of independent evidence has fueled skepticism about the legitimacy of the military target.
For its part, Hamas rejected the official Israeli version, calling it «unfounded» and part of a strategy to evade legal and moral responsibility for what they describe as a “massacre”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly deplored the incident and stated that “war is against Hamas terrorists”, assuring that Israel “values the work of journalists and medical personnel”.
With this attack, the Nasser Hospital, one of the last functioning medical centres in southern Gaza, has been seriously affected, further aggravating the collapse of the health system in the enclave. The international community, including the UN and various human rights organizations, has called for an impartial investigation and strict respect for humanitarian law in military operations in densely populated areas.
