IDF chief orders immediate probe into Israeli strike on Gaza hospital

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Monday ordered an urgent probe after 20 people were reportedly killed in an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health authority, several journalists were among the dead. Hospital director Dr. Atef Al-Houth told Al-Arabi television that the hospital’s fourth floor was struck without prior warning. He added that operating rooms stopped functioning after the attack. Nasser Hospital, which has a capacity of 140 beds, is reportedly overcrowded and currently treating about 1,000 patients.

“The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved [civilians] and in no way directs strikes at journalists,” the Israeli military said in an official statement. The IDF emphasized that it seeks to “minimize harm to them while safeguarding the security of our forces.”

The IDF initially revealed that the hospital was targeted after a “credible threat” was identified on the hospital’s roof. Hamas terrorists have systematically embedded themselves in Gaza hospitals both before and after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. 

A video of the strike on the hospital is circulating on social media platforms. The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Communications claimed that the killed journalists were the Reuters photographer Husam Al-Masri, the Al Jazeera photographers Muhammad Salama and Moaz Abu Taha. In addition, the independent journalist Mariam Abu Daka was reportedly killed in the strike. Abu Daka’s Instagram account has over 200,000 followers. 

The IDF’s initial assessment is that the hospital building was struck by at least two shells. The Israeli military is currently investigating the circumstances and seeks to determine whether the fire came from tanks or artillery. The Israeli military has defined hospitals as “sensitive sites,” and if a terrorist target is identified, a strike requires the approval of a senior IDF officer.

The Prime Minister's Office released a statement in the evening: "Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians. The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home."

In May, the Israeli military eliminated Hamas’ top leader, Mohammed Sinwar, who was meeting with senior Hamas officials in a tunnel below the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

In November 2023, an Italian journalist and a British doctor both confirmed that Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City had been used for “non-medical” purposes. The Israeli military, which raided the hospital several times since the beginning of the war, revealed that the hospital has served as a major Hamas command and control center. 

The strike on the hospital comes as the Israeli military is preparing for a complex and large operation to seize Gaza City, which is Hamas' last major stronghold, according to the IS. 

Israel initially signaled it seeks to quick military operation in Gaza City. However, the Israeli military has recently indicated that it is prepared to prolong Operation Gideon’s Chariots II by an additional six months if it reduces the attrition on the battlefield. 

"The event will be managed wisely and will not manage us,” unnamed IDF sources told the Ynet News outlet. "There will be organized schedules, soldiers will go home, see their commanders, and we will not repeat the mistakes that were made at the beginning of the war,” the source added.

The Israeli military mainly consists of reservists, and many are exhausted after prolonged and intense fighting for the past 23 months in Gaza and Lebanon. 

"There will also be consideration for reservists, and we will try to take soldiers out for holiday vacations,” Israeli military sources revealed. “We are in a marathon, not a sprint."