Dr. Ayman Abu Obeid spent his days treating war wounded as the head of surgery at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. Shortly after midnight on Thursday, he became a casualty himself when a direct strike hit the doctors’ offices and patients’ rooms at the hospital.
"We work around the clock, of course, and at 12:30 last night we were hit by a direct strike on the doctors’ offices and the patients’ rooms," Dr. Abu Obeid said. The blast severely injured his right foot, tearing a ligament.
His colleague, Dr. Mohammed Al-Adini, sustained a fractured femur from a hit to the thigh and now requires surgery and external fixation of the bone. Another member of the medical team, surgical specialist Dr. Rezik Abushira, was killed in the attack.
Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, stated that the bombardment killed at least six people and wounded 20. He added that the strike hit the surgery department and caused extensive damage. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 28 people sustained injuries.
Describing the moment of the explosion, Dr. Abu Obeid said the offices were completely destroyed. He stated that he and his colleagues took direct hits alongside more than 50 patients. "Five or six martyrs yesterday, for no reason and with no justification for this continuous bombardment by the Israeli army," he said.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted a Hamas commander and other militants after Hamas established a presence within the hospital complex. The military did not provide evidence for the claim. A Hamas spokesperson described the strike as a fully fledged war crime, while Reuters reported it could not independently verify the military’s allegations.
Dr. Abu Obeid rejected the account provided by the Israeli military. "There were no armed men or fighters inside the hospital building," he said.
The Nasser Medical Complex is one of the few medical facilities still functioning in Gaza and has faced multiple attacks by Israeli forces during the war. Dr. Abu Obeid described the latest incident as an example of the daily risks medical staff face and the costs of the conflict.
Foreign medical teams volunteering at the facility, many of whom had never experienced an active war zone, were terrified by the attack. Dr. Abu Obeid stated that some volunteers will be afraid to return in the future, while others insist on coming back to help the Palestinian people.
Health officials in the territory report that at least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since a truce came into effect on October 10 last year. Israel states that four of its soldiers have been killed during the same period, while intensifying its attacks over accusations that Hamas is trying to regroup and rearm. Hamas maintains it is committed to the ceasefire agreement and accuses Israel of attempting to undermine it.
Dr. Al-Adini now awaits surgery at the hospital for his broken thigh bone. "Thank God, who saved us from this strike, and we pray it is never repeated," he said.
