On August 25, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted two strikes on an area near Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis. After it emerged that civilians were likely killed in the strikes, the IDF said it would conduct an inquiry.
The strikes on August 25 took place in the morning, and the second strike was captured on film by Al Ghad TV, a Jordanian television station. The video appeared to show medical workers attempting to extract people from the rubble of a staircase that had been hit earlier. Reports from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said that 20 people were killed in the two strikes. The victims included several journalists, Gazan sources told the media.
On August 25, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that he had ordered an inquiry into the incident. “The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and does not target journalists as such. The IDF acts to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible while maintaining the safety of IDF troops,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
“I would like to be clear from the start—the IDF does not intentionally target civilians. […] Hamas began this war, and created impossible conditions,” IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Eddie Defrin added. “Hamas terrorists deliberately use civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, as shields. They have even operated from the Nasser hospital itself,” he noted.
On August 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the country “deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred today at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza.” He added, “Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians. The military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Our war is with Hamas terrorists. Our just goals are defeating Hamas and bringing our hostages home.”
The initial findings of an IDF inquiry were published on August 26. The Israeli military found that Golani Brigade troops, “operating in the area of Khan Yunis to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, identified a camera that was positioned by Hamas in the area of the Nasser Hospital that was being used to observe the activity of IDF troops, in order to direct terrorist activities against them.” The troops ordered a strike on the camera, which was apparently located on the external stairs of the building seen in the Al Ghad TV footage.
An August 26 press release describing the initial inquiry’s results stated that IDF Chief of Staff Zamir noted that “six of the individuals killed were terrorists, one of whom took part in the infiltration into Israeli territory on October 7th. At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff regrets any harm caused to civilians.” Zamir requested that the IDF inquiry continue to examine the authorization for the strike and the type of ammunition approved for use. He also asked investigators to examine the decision-making process that occurred in the field and the timing of the authorization. “The Chief of the General Staff emphasized that the IDF directs its activities solely toward military targets,” the Israeli military added.
The IDF has clashed with Hamas and other terrorist groups at several hospitals in Gaza throughout the war. In February 2024, the Israeli military said it had apprehended 200 terrorists in the area of Nasser Hospital.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the strike on August 25 “completely unacceptable.” UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Thameen al Kheetan also condemned the strike, describing it as “unacceptable.”
