A courtyard at the European Hospital lies in ruins after an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday. Getty Images
Israel launched a strike on a hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday evening. The strike targeted Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas leader. A senior Israeli official and two other sources confirmed this. Sinwar took over as Hamas’s leader after his brother, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by Israeli forces last October.
The strike on the hospital killed 28 Palestinians and injured over 50, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. This ministry does not separate military and civilian casualties.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they attacked the European Hospital in Khan Younis. They said their target was “Hamas terrorists in a command and control center” under the hospital. The IDF did not say who exactly they were aiming for.
Damage and Chaos
Dr. Saleh Al Hams, head of nursing at the hospital, described the scene. Several airstrikes hit the hospital’s yard. He said some people were trapped under rubble, calling it “a catastrophe.” Medical teams worked quickly to move patients to safer parts of the hospital.
Videos showed huge clouds of smoke and dust rising from the strikes. The attack was one of the biggest in Gaza recently.
A woman whose mother was being treated at the hospital described the terrifying moments. “Explosions came from every direction, smoke, fire, rubble, sand everywhere. My mother collapsed on the floor. Shrapnel was flying all around us… The terror was beyond words. We hardly escaped death,” she said.
Marwan al-Hams, who oversees Gaza’s field hospitals, said the strike damaged the hospital’s courtyard and vital systems like sewage and water. Ambulances could not reach the emergency room. A bulldozer clearing rubble was also hit the next day.
He warned that the hospital might have to close many departments until repairs happen.
A Call for Help
Muneer Alboursh, head of Gaza’s health ministry, said the world ignores the suffering of Palestinians. He said Gaza feels like a place where human life means little. “If this footage came from famous hospitals abroad, the world would be in uproar. Leaders would act fast. Investigations would begin within hours. But this was the European Hospital in Gaza – even its name could not save it,” he said.
Gaza Civil Defense reported three people died on their way to the hospital on Wednesday.
Hamas denied Israeli claims about Sinwar. The group said only its official channels confirm such news.
Rockets and Warnings
On Tuesday night, Israel said it intercepted two rockets from Gaza. This was the first time in a month rockets were fired from there. A third rocket landed in an open area. The military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
Israel warned residents of the Jabalya refugee camp and nearby areas to evacuate. They said the military would strike anywhere rockets are launched from.
Tensions and Hostage Talks
The strike on Sinwar came a day after Hamas freed an Israeli-American hostage. This release was seen as a goodwill gesture to the U.S. Hamas made this deal without involving Israel directly.
Overnight airstrikes killed at least 56 people. Many victims were women and children. Hospitals in Gaza face shortages of medicine and blood supplies. Mohammad al Arbid, at one hospital, said, “They took the hostage and that’s it, no aid entered. There is no medication. A 5-year-old boy cried for painkillers that were not available while the world watched.”
Key Figure in Hamas
Mohammed Sinwar has been a top Hamas military leader. Israel sees him as very hardline and a key planner of attacks against Israel. He has stayed hidden since the war began.
Experts say removing Sinwar could change the war's course. But even if he dies, confirmation may take weeks or months.
