Israeli strike on hospital kills at least five Palestinians, Gaza civil defence agency says

At least five Palestinians have been killed after an Israeli airstrike hit a building at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, an official from the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency has told the BBC. Eyewitnesses said that a single missile, fired from a warplane that briefly flew over the area, struck a building housing the hospital's surgical wards and intensive care units. Twenty others were injured, the civil defence spokesman said.

The Israeli military says it struck a senior Hamas member and other militants who were using the hospital "as a command center for military and terrorist activities". In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said that they strongly condemn Hamas exploiting "civilian and medical infrastructure for military purposes". They added that "steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance".

Israel accuses Hamas, which continues to retain its weapons and maintain security control over the Gaza Strip, of using hospitals for military purposes.