UN officials condemn Israeli strike on Gaza's Nasser Hospital that killed six

An Israeli airstrike on the surgical wing of Gaza's Nasser Hospital on Wednesday night killed six people, including a medical worker, patients and companions, and wounded 27 others, according to the World Health Organization. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim Ramiz Alakbarov said he was "deeply alarmed" by the attack and warned that the ongoing violence and recent increase in military operations worsen the humanitarian situation and threaten the fragile ceasefire. He reminded that international humanitarian law requires all parties to protect medical personnel and facilities and urged rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described Gaza's health facilities as "lifelines" that must not be militarized or attacked, noting that more than 1,000 assaults on health services have been recorded since October 2023. He added that "the best medicine is peace" and highlighted the growing health needs as winter approaches.

The strike occurred amid severe weather that has caused flooding and a sand-dune collapse, leaving an estimated 65 % of Gaza's population—about 1.4 million people—in tents or makeshift shelters, according to the UN aid coordination office (OCHA). A nine-month-old baby reportedly died of cold after the rains. Humanitarian partners have provided tents, tarpaulins, blankets and other supplies to roughly 1,800 families, but the rainy season is expected to last several months, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks due to standing water and limited medical equipment.

A coalition of 53 countries and organizations called on Israel's incoming government to allow large-scale aid deliveries as winter sets in. Speaking outside the UN Security Council, UK Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh said the full aid flows promised under the peace plan endorsed by resolution 2803 have not yet been realized.