IDF and Shin Bet strike senior Hamas terrorist and cell operating from Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis

The IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) struck a senior Hamas terrorist and other Hamas operatives who were planning attacks from inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, the military confirmed Thursday morning, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The overnight airstrike came after Hamas terrorists "had established a presence within the hospital complex and used it as a command center for military and terrorist activities against IDF troops and the State of Israel," the military said. Israeli media reported the target was the commander of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade; the IDF has not yet named him or confirmed the result of the strike.

According to the joint statement, Hamas stored weapons inside the hospital complex, ran command-and-control rooms there, used hospital buildings as observation posts and hideouts for terrorists, and its internal security and intelligence arms carried out interrogations and torture on the grounds.

The IDF and Shin Bet condemned Hamas's "cynical exploitation of civilian and medical infrastructure for military purposes, while endangering the lives of patients, medical personnel, and civilians," and said precision munitions and aerial surveillance were used to limit harm to civilians. Hamas-run Gaza authorities claim six people were killed and more than 20 wounded; the IDF has not released a casualty figure. The army said more details will follow.