Israeli strike on Gaza European Hospital kills 28, civil defence says
Event date: 2025-05-13
An Israeli air strike on the European Hospital in Khan Younis killed 28 people and injured dozens on May 13, 2025, according to a spokesman for Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency cited by the BBC. The Israeli military said it had carried out a precise strike on what it described as Hamas militants operating from a command and control centre beneath the hospital.
Local sources quoted in the report said Israeli warplanes dropped six bombs at the same time, hitting the hospital's inner courtyard and the surrounding area. The strike left deep craters inside the compound and buried several vehicles, including part of a large bus. Eyewitnesses said drones remained overhead, and rescue crews were reportedly unable to reach the site immediately because of the danger.
Among those injured was a freelance journalist working for the BBC in Gaza, who was later said to be in stable condition. The report also included first-hand testimony from Dr Tom Potokar, a plastic surgeon working with the Ideals aid charity at the hospital, who described six enormous explosions hitting directly with no warning. That account added independent detail to the scenes of destruction reported by local emergency officials.
Israel said the target was a Hamas command centre under the hospital, repeating a longstanding allegation that the group uses medical facilities for military purposes. Hamas denies that accusation. The BBC report said Israeli media identified the apparent target as Mohammed Sinwar, believed to have taken over the group's military wing after the death of Mohammed Deif, though the packet did not confirm whether he was present or hit.
The hospital strike came amid broader pressure on Gaza's health system. The report said the dead and wounded were moved to Nasser Hospital, where medical teams were already struggling with casualties. It also noted that Nasser Hospital's emergency department had been struck earlier the same day, and that another attack there killed two people, including photojournalist Hassan Aslih, who Israel had previously accused of involvement in the 7 October attack.
That wider backdrop matters because strikes on or around hospitals have become among the most contested and sensitive episodes of the war. Israel frames such attacks as operations against militants embedded in civilian infrastructure, while Palestinians and aid workers point to the immediate loss of life and the cumulative damage to medical care.
The only clearly supported facts in this packet are that at least 28 people were reported killed, the strike hit the European Hospital compound and Israel said it was targeting a Hamas command node beneath the facility. Even within those bounds, the event represented another devastating blow to Gaza's already battered hospital network.
