'We lost patients I had been caring for': Nasser nurse speaks of 'terrifying' attack

'We lost patients I had been caring for': Nasser nurse speaks of 'terrifying' attack

A nurse who was working a night shift at Nasser Hospital's surgical department when it was targeted by an Israeli air strike has said that a number of patients they were caring for were killed in the attack.

In testimony shared by the NGO Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP), Mohammed Salman described the attack on the hospital, which is the largest in southern Gaza, as "terrifying".

"I saw patients trapped under the rubble and colleagues injured. We lost some of the patients I had been caring for, including at least two," he said.

"Our greatest fear was for the patients. We immediately started trying to evacuate them and get them to safety, working alongside Civil Defence teams and moving those we could rescue to another department."

Salman said a colleague, surgeon Dr Rizq Abu Shaeria, was killed as he was checking on a patient.

"A few minutes later, everything changed, and we lost him. It is incredibly painful to lose a colleague who was simply doing his job and dedicating himself to caring for patients," he said.

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that two missiles struck the upper floors of the hospital's Yassin building, which houses the surgical department, at around 00:39 local time, killing six – including surgeons, patients and a child. It added that one of the missiles failed to detonate and remains inside the building, posing an additional threat to patients and medical staff still there.

Nasser Hospital is one of the few still able to provide care. According to the UN's OCHA, just 20 of the Strip's 37 hospitals remain partially functional and none are fully functional.

The latest assault is the seventh time Israeli forces have targeted Nasser Hospital, according to MAP.

In August 2025 the facility was hit by a double-tap strike, killing 20 people, including two Middle East Eye journalists.

Salman said that this is the second time the surgical department has come under attack, but that their team has not "become used to the fear".

"It may have become part of our daily reality, but every time it happens it is terrifying all over again. We fear for our own lives and for the patients whose care has been entrusted to us."