Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Aug 25 (AP) - An Israeli airstrike struck the fourth floor of southern Gaza's primary hospital on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least eight individuals, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The casualties occurred on the fourth floor of Nasser Hospital in what the ministry described as a double-tap strike, where two missiles hit in succession, the second arriving just as rescue teams reached the scene.
Nasser Hospital, located in Khan Younis, stands as the largest medical facility in southern Gaza. It has endured continuous raids and bombardments over the 22-month-long conflict, with officials reporting severe shortages of both supplies and medical staff.
The Israeli military has not yet offered comments on the specifics of this strike.
Strikes and raids on hospitals by Israel have been frequent. Numerous hospitals throughout the Gaza Strip have been hit or raided, with Israel asserting that their attacks aimed at militants allegedly operating within these medical establishments, though evidence to substantiate these claims has not been released.
Back in June, an attack on Nasser Hospital resulted in the death of three individuals and injuries to ten others, as per reports from the health ministry. At that time, Israel’s military declared it targeted Hamas militants who were allegedly using a command and control center within the hospital.
On Sunday, the health ministry reported that the ongoing war has claimed the lives of at least 62,686 Palestinians. While the figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, it is noted that roughly half of the casualties were women and children. The UN, along with independent experts, recognize the ministry as the most reliable source on war fatalities. Although Israel disputes these numbers, it has not released its own data. (AP)
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