IDF targets senior Hamas officers in Gaza hospital strike, six reported killed

Commander of Hamas forces in Khan Yunis and the coordinator of Hamas operations in southern Gaza targeted in IDF strike on Gaza hospital used as a terrorist command and control center.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli forces targeted the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade and several other terrorists in an airstrike on Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip early Thursday, November 12, with Palestinian authorities reporting six deaths and dozens of injuries.

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency identified the primary target as Muhammad Abu Ismail, who assumed command of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade following the killing of his predecessor in September.

In a joint statement, the security agencies said Abu Ismail was responsible for directing Hamas operatives in planning attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, as well as overseeing the captivity of numerous Israeli hostages during the war.

The military said the operation targeted Abu Ismail “along with additional terrorists who were hiding at Nasser Hospital.”

Israeli officials had not confirmed whether Abu Ismail was killed, saying the results of the operation remained under review.

According to the IDF, Hamas had established a command center within the hospital complex, using the facility to coordinate attacks against Israeli forces and rebuild the Khan Younis Brigade’s military capabilities.

The military accused Hamas of storing weapons, establishing command-and-control facilities, conducting interrogations and torture, and using parts of the hospital as observation posts and shelters for terrorists.

“The IDF and the ISA strongly condemn the Hamas terrorist organization’s cynical exploitation of civilian and medical infrastructure for military purposes, while endangering the lives of patients, medical personnel, and civilians,” the military said.

The IDF said precautions were taken to reduce civilian casualties, including the use of precision-guided weapons and aerial surveillance.

Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing three sources within Hamas, that Khaled Abu Anza, 53, a senior Hamas security official responsible for the organization’s operations throughout southern Gaza, was among those killed.

According to the report, Abu Anza supervised Hamas’ military, political and internal security activities in southern Gaza. Several of his bodyguards were also reportedly killed.

The sources claimed that an earlier attempt by armed groups operating in coordination with Israeli intelligence to capture Abu Anza at the hospital had been thwarted after Hamas arrested a suspected collaborator.

Palestinian officials said the Israeli strike hit the hospital’s surgical department, causing extensive damage to several floors.

Gaza’s Hamas-run Civil Defense initially reported six fatalities and 20 injuries, while the Gaza Health Ministry subsequently placed the number of wounded at 28.

The attack comes two months after Israeli forces killed Muhammad Abdul Salam al-Yazouri, the previous commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, in a September 11 airstrike.

According to the IDF, al-Yazouri had directed numerous attacks against Israeli forces and was working to restore the brigade’s operational capabilities following heavy losses during the war.

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