IDF: Nasser hospital strike targeted Hamas camera; further probe will investigate approval process, munitions used in attack

The IDF says a preliminary investigation into yesterday’s attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis determined that Hamas had installed a surveillance camera at the site to track Israeli troop movements and to help direct attacks against soldiers.

According to the army, Golani Brigade forces operating in the city in southern Gaza identified the camera on the hospital grounds and destroyed it after determining it posed an immediate threat.

More than 20 were killed in the strike, including several journalists, and it drew international condemnation. The IDF says that of those killed in the incident, six were identified as Hamas operatives, including one who took part in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. The army reiterates that it regrets the harm caused to uninvolved civilians.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir orders that the probe be deepened in several areas, including the approval process for the strike — particularly regarding the type of munition used and the timing of the attack — as well as the way decisions were made on the ground.

Military officials told Hebrew-language media outlets yesterday that an Israeli army tank team shelled a camera stationed at the hospital, believing the device was being used to track troops. Two shells were fired by the tank, the officials said.

The IDF, in detailing its initial probe today, says its findings were reinforced by intelligence indicating Hamas has been using Nasser Hospital for terror activity, as well as by the terror group’s repeated use of medical facilities for military purposes throughout the war.

Zamir was presented with the initial findings by Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor and instructed the military to complete a full investigation. He emphasized that Hamas “cynically” exploits sensitive civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, to conduct covert intelligence gathering and direct terror attacks.

The military stresses that its operations are directed solely at military targets.