Israeli forces strike Hamas commander near Gaza hospital

Israeli forces reportedly struck a Hamas commander who was allegedly hiding within the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, according to the Israeli military.

The military stated that the commander, whose name was not released, was planning attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. The strike occurred in a building adjacent to the hospital. The military claimed it took measures to "minimize the risk to civilians" and had warned Gaza's medical institutions two days prior that "medical facilities should cease being used for terrorist purposes."

The hospital reported that three people were injured in the strike near a warehouse close to the maternity ward. Separately, Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency reported that two people were killed and several injured in an Israeli strike near a roundabout in the Tel al-Hawa area of Gaza City. The Israeli military stated it struck an "operational operative" in that area.

Fighting continues in Gaza, with Israeli forces advancing despite a ceasefire that took effect in October. Israel maintains its objective is to eliminate threats from Hamas, the group that carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire began, at least 1,313 people have been killed in Israeli operations in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. Israel reported five soldiers killed and one civilian contractor dead during the same period.