IDF: Nasser Hospital strike aimed at Hamas surveillance camera; six terrorists among dead, including Oct. 7 participant

A preliminary review found that roughly 20 Palestinians were killed in the incident, six of whom the IDF identified as Hamas terrorists.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Israel Defense Forces said its strike near Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis on Monday targeted a Hamas video surveillance camera that was being used to monitor IDF troop movements.

According to an initial inquiry presented Tuesday to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir by Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Golani Brigade troops identified the camera positioned close to the hospital and acted to neutralize it based on intelligence indicating Hamas has exploited the site for terrorist purposes throughout the war.

A preliminary review found that roughly 20 Palestinians were killed in the incident, six of whom the IDF identified as Hamas terrorists.

The military said one of those six had a role related to the Oct. 7 attacks; available video shows him entering Israel while carrying a flag.

The IDF added that the operation’s objective was the camera itself, not specific individuals on the ground.

Zamir stressed that the disclosure does not absolve the military of potential mistakes.

The inquiry will continue to examine why tank shells were approved for use in such a sensitive area and which command levels authorized the decision.

A statement differentiated between possible errors by field commanders and by officers at Southern Command headquarters in Beersheba.

The IDF acknowledged early Monday that aspects of the strike and its results were a mistake. The incident drew intense attention in part because journalists, including Reuters staff, were among the dead.

The military said it did not intend to harm reporters or other civilians and is reviewing the circumstances.

IDF officials also did not rule out that two separate salvos were fired, with the second causing further casualties among medical and media personnel who arrived after the initial blast.

The IDF noted that attacks near hospitals require higher-level approvals even when terrorists operate in the vicinity.

Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin said the military seeks to avoid civilian harm but faces adversaries who base operations in protected sites. Zamir ordered the inquiry to proceed, citing Hamas’s extensive use of covert visual intelligence from sensitive civilian locations such as hospitals.