BoP deplores the death of any civilians and condemns Hamas exploitation of hospitals

A Hamas commander targeted in an overnight Israeli airstrike at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was responsible for holding numerous Israeli hostages, including at the medical facility, the IDF and Shin Bet said Thursday.

Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis brigade, allegedly oversaw the captivity of several hostages during the war. Israeli security officials said they were still assessing the outcome of the strike and had not confirmed his death.

Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said six people were killed and at least 28 wounded. Hamas condemned the operation as a “war crime.”

In a statement following the strike, the Board of Peace deplored civilian deaths and called for the immediate implementation of President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan.

The board said the incident illustrated a recurring situation in which Hamas accuses Israel of deliberately attacking hospitals, Israel says Hamas uses the facilities for military operations, and civilians suffer the consequences.

It also strongly condemned Hamas’s continued use of hospitals and other essential civilian infrastructure for military purposes.

“Both Israel and Hamas must immediately honor their commitments,” the board said, citing civilian protection, maintenance of the ceasefire and Gaza’s demilitarization.

The board said it had developed a framework to provide Gazans with safe access to medical care in secure, demilitarized facilities. It urged all parties to grant it the authority and operational access needed to implement that framework without obstruction.

According to the IDF, dozens of hostages were held at Nasser Hospital during the war, including residents of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, women, children, older people and foreign nationals. Former hostages have also described being held at the facility.

The military said Abu Ismail was responsible for holding Nimrod Cohen, Edan Alexander, Matan Zangauker and Avera Mengistu, as well as the remains of Col. Assaf Hamami, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel and Capt. Omer Neutra.

Abu Ismail took command of the Khan Younis brigade after his predecessor, Muhammad al-Yazouri, was killed in September, according to the military.

The IDF and Shin Bet said Hamas operated a military headquarters on the hospital’s second floor, which they described as heavily guarded and closed to civilians. They alleged that commanders used the site to plan attacks on Israeli troops and rebuild the brigade’s capabilities.

The strike also targeted Muawad Tawfiq Mahmoud Abu Zarifa, described by the military as an engineering unit commander responsible for operational and administrative support, and Khaled Osama Abu Anza, identified as a communications official in Hamas’s intelligence operations department.

Israeli security authorities further accused Hamas of storing weapons, operating observation posts and conducting interrogations and torture at the hospital.

The military said it took precautions to reduce civilian casualties, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance.