Mon Mar 24 02:45:09 UTC 2025: ## Israeli Airstrike Kills Hamas Official and Teenager in Gaza Hospital
**Khan Younis, Gaza Strip –** An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, has killed at least two people, including a senior Hamas official and a 16-year-old boy, sparking international outrage. Hamas identified the official as Ismail Barhoum, a member of the group’s political bureau, who was killed while receiving treatment. The Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed Barhoum was the target.
The Israeli military claimed the strike used “precise munitions” following extensive intelligence gathering, alleging Hamas used civilian infrastructure, including the hospital, to plan attacks. This assertion was vehemently denied by Palestinian officials and medical personnel.
The airstrike, which caused a large explosion and fire, also resulted in injuries to at least eight other patients and extensive damage to the hospital’s male surgical ward, according to hospital staff. One trauma surgeon, Feroze Sidhwa, described the scene as devastating and criticized the targeting of the medical facility as a violation of international law. He confirmed the 16-year-old victim was a patient he had recently operated on.
The attack comes hours after Israel reported killing another Hamas political bureau member, Salah al-Bardawil, and his wife in a separate strike. Since Tuesday, Israel has reportedly killed four members of Hamas’s political bureau, escalating the conflict.
The overall death toll in Gaza since the beginning of the current military operation has surpassed 50,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, a figure many believe to be a significant undercount. Hospitals across Gaza are overwhelmed, facing critical shortages of medical supplies due to prolonged border closures. The situation continues to escalate throughout the Gaza Strip. The incident has drawn strong condemnation from Hamas, which has accused Israel of war crimes and violating international law.
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