Strike on Gaza hospital kills 28 as Israel claims it hit 'Hamas command centre'
Gaza's Civil Defence teams scrambled through the rubble at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, pulling casualties, including children, from the wreckage - in a blast that killed at least 28
Nine Israeli missiles have torn through a hospital in southern Gaza, killing at least 28 people and injuring dozens more, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. It was the second strike to hit a medical facility in the city on Tuesday.
Gaza's Civil Defence teams scrambled through the rubble at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, pulling casualties, including children, from the wreckage. Many bodies are still yet to be recovered because they've been "scattered around the hospital area" from the force of the blasts, the agency said. Israel claimed it had targeted a "Hamas command centre" hidden beneath the hospital, but provided no evidence.
Earlier in the day, Israel's Defence Forces (IDF) admitted to "a targeted attack" on the Nasser Medical Complex, also in Khan Younis, killing two people - including renowned Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslaih. Eslaih was being treated in a burn unit after being severely wounded in a April 7 Israeli strike on a media tent beside the hospital.
Dozens of patients were being treated on the hospital's third floor when the missiles struck, according to emergency responder Ahmed Siyyam, speaking to Reuters. Israel later declared it had "eliminated significant Hamas terrorists" in the strike on Nasser Hospital - specifically naming Eslaih, alleging he had "operated under the guise of a journalist".
The aftermath of the strike revealed catastrophic damage inside the hospital, including shattered beds and destroyed medical equipment. The International Federation of Journalists says more than 160 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began.Eslaih, head of the independent news agency Alam24 and a former contributor to international outlets, had been recovering from wounds he suffered during last month's lethal attack on the press tent at Nasser Hospital.
Palestinian officials have long accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists. Israel denies this, insisting it seeks to avoid civilian harm.
US President Donald Trump has meanwhile phoned American hostage Edan Alexander - released by Hamas on Monday - as ceasefire negotiations continue. The 21-year-old was believed to be the last living American hostage in Gaza.
The October 7 attack on southern Israel killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. Since then, Israel has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and obliterated much of the territory.
An aid blockade, imposed by Israel since March, has meanwhile left Gaza on the verge of famine. On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation warned that hunger and malnutrition could have a lasting impact on "an entire generation".
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