During the afternoon/evening of May 13, 2025, the Israeli military dropped dozens of bombs that hit and damaged the European Hospital and surrounding homes in Khan Younis, Gaza, killing at least 13 civilians, including two children and two women, and injuring 70 others, including four journalists. The Israeli military announced the strike, initially stating that they were targeting Hamas militants and a tunnel network underneath the European Hospital, and later announcing that the strike hit senior Hamas militant Mohammad Sinwar and a number of other fighters. Sinwar was likely one of at least three Hamas militants killed. Two other militants, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) commander and fighter were also killed.

Airwars researchers were able to identify the names of 13 civilians killed in the strike, though some reports put the death toll as high as 48.

When Airwars first published this incident on September 30, 2025, no open sources were found to suggest that Ahmed Jaber Fares Radhi or Muhammad Rafiq Abdul Hadi Safi were militants. As such, Ahmed and Muhammad were recorded as civilians. This was in line with Airwars’ methodology which is employed across all conflicts we document, and informed by international standards regarding the ‘presumption of civilian status‘. Specifically, as outlined by the International Committee of the Red Cross, civilian status is assumed until evidence is identified to the contrary.

However, on May 13, 2026, sarayamirror, a Telegram account associated with PIJ, posted a tribute to Ahmed Jaber Fares Radhi, naming him as a commander. The account posted another tribute, this one to Muhammad Rafiq Abdul Hadi Safi, on June 6, 2026. As such, both men’s civilian status were updated to militant, and the number of civilians recorded as killed in this incident was changed from fifteen to thirteen.

Journalist Mohamed Awad reported on Facebook that “martyrs and wounded” had resulted from an Israeli air strike on the Gaza European Hospital and the surrounding area, and included a list of people killed: 29-year-old Hamza Jamil Abdul Hadi Safi, 38-year-old Muhammad Rafiq Abdul Hadi Safi (a militant), 22-year-old Jamil Muhammad Jamil Safi, 28-year-old Abdullah Jamal Suleiman al-Farra, 36-year-old Ahmad Faris Jabr Radi, 58-year-old Muhammad Mahmoud Abdul Karim al-Afghani (Abu Iyad), his son 28-year-old Anas Muhammad Mahmoud al-Afghani, his daughter 14-year-old Malak Muhammad Mahmoud al-Afghani, and 23-year-old Bilal Bashir Abu Amuna.

On May 13, Facebook account “People of Ma’an and eastern Khan Yunis”, also published a list of those killed in the violence. The account was the first to report the deaths of 18-year-old Muhammad Saeed Muhammad al-Aqqad and 54-year-old Kifah Ibrahim Khalil al-Qudsi (al-Afghani), wife of Mohammad Mahmoud and mother of Anas and siblings.

Posting to Facebook, Rashed Rabariti shared that Uday Adnan Hamed al-Aqqad was also among those killed, adding Uday’s name to the list of those killed. However, in a Facebook post mourning the death of Muhammad Saeed, Hamed al-Aqqad contradicted reports that Uday was killed, writing: “As for what is being circulated regarding my brother, Uday Adnan, he is fine, thank God.” Due to this uncertainty, Uday’s name has not been included in the civilian harm list but has been included in the maximum toll. This will be updated should additional information become available.

On May 16th, three days after the incident, Mohamed Awad posted to Facebook, writing that Muhammad Saeed Bayoud al-Aqqad had died of injuries sustained in the bombing of the European Hospital.

In prayers offered for the loss of Muhammad Saeed, Hadi Ali added that his sister Mai Saeed Muhammad al-Aqqad had also been killed. The post included images of Muhammad and Mai, who appeared to be a child.

Iyad al-Afghani posted a memorial to his family members killed in the attack, including his father Muhammad Mahmoud, his mother Kifah, his brother Anas, his brother Mahmoud Muhammad al-Afghani, and his sister 33-year-old Amal Muhammad al-Afghani (Umm Osama). While Mahmoud’s age was not found among sources, according to his Facebook profile, he attended al-Azhar University, making it likely that he was an adult. According to Iyad, at the time of their post, the family of their uncle, Abdul Karim al-Afghani (Abu Mahmoud) was still under the rubble.

A list of names of bodies that arrived at Nasser Medical Complex after “the bombing of the European Hospital” published by Msdr News a day after the attack referenced additional names to those listed above, though many of these appeared in other sources in relation to subsequent strikes on May 14th and therefore have not been included in this assessment.

Journalist Mohamed Awad also mentioned that three journalists sustained “minor injuries” as a result of “shelling” of the European Hospital and nearby, providing their names: Abdul Raouf Shaat (shrapnel injuries to the face), Muhammad Imad al-Amur (shrapnel injury to the hand), and Amr Tabash (shrapnel injury to the hand). The post also mentioned that the family of his uncle Abdul Karim al-Afghani Abu Mahmoud was still under the rubble. A post from Msdr News refers to “four journalists slightly injured” in the attack and includes a list of four names, including the three already mentioned as well as Hussein Khreis, who sustained injures to their foot. The post included an image of a man getting imaging done in a medical facility.

A condolence message posted by Ismail al-Laham mourned the loss of three members of the Safi family Hamza Jamil, Muhammad Rafiq, and Jamil Muhammad and included images of three young men, all pictured smiling at the camera indoors and outdoors. Fadi Abu Omar Safi also posted a message of mourning on behalf of the Safi family and multiple other family and friends remembered the three men on Facebook.

The official website of the Al-Aqqad family posted on Facebook a message of mourning for Ahmad Faris Jabr Radi, with an image of him posing in front of a body of water. Ahmad was also mourned by family member Abu Samer Radi who included an image of Ahmad in a purple blazer and jeans.

While memorialising the killing of Bashir Abu Amuna and his family members in an attack on their family home, a post by Princess Umm Musab mentioned that Bashir’s son Bilal Bashir Abu Amuna had been killed just hours earlier. Bilal was also memorialised by his brother Mahmoud who included an image of the two smiling infront of a golden background.

Abdul Hadi Abu Al-Omrain published a statement reportedly from journalist Muhammad Imad al-Amur saying “I was slightly injured by shrapnel in my right hand” and that the situation had been resolved, likely indicating he had already received treatment. The statement added that “One of the airstrikes targeted the outside courtyard of the European Hospital, coinciding with the funeral of the martyrs of the Al-Amur family. One of the airstrikes also targeted one of the field departments behind the European Hospital, where “200 children were scheduled to leave the hospital tomorrow morning.” @Almeqdad also mentioned that the bombing occurred during a funeral procession going on at the European Hospital.

Journalist Amr Tabash also released a statement describing what had happened, posting on Facebook that “At the time, I was doing my journalistic work, conducting an interview with a father and his two children. I was standing right next to the bus, directly within the red zone at the moment of the strike. By God’s mercy alone, and due to the intensity of the fire belts, we were thrown several meters away. I sustained multiple minor injuries all over my body as metal sheets, stones, and iron debris fell on me. Thankfully, the family I was interviewing also survived. I underwent thorough medical examinations, and, thank God, I am fine despite the physical injuries. I will remain under observation for 72 hours as a precaution in case of any internal complications, especially after a head injury that caused vomiting at the moment of the strike. I sincerely thank everyone who stood by me, checked in, and asked about my condition at every moment.” The post identified that Amr Tabash was the journalist that received the imaging scan for injuries, including that picture as well as an image of the scene showing a bus which has sunken into a huge hole in the ground and identifying that Amr was right next to the bus at the time of the strike.

The Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal announced that 28 bodies had been recovered by civil defense crews after “fire bolts” which struck the vicinity of the European Hospital, adding that according to eyewitnesses, the bodies of more than 20 people who had been killed in the Afghan (Al-Afghani) family home were “still inside it until now” and that the house had been crowded when the attack occurred. Based on this reporting, a maximum of 49 killed has been recorded for civilian harm.

Haaretz quoted the Ministry of Health which stated that 16 people had been killed and about 70 others were wounded. Other sources provided a lower civilian harm toll, such as Almagharibia TV which quoted an earlier Ministry of Health statement, which said that six people had been killed and “more than 40” others had been wounded.

A tweet from @Hakeam_ps identified that “highly explosive, ground-penetrating missiles” had struck the courtyard of the European Hospitals. The post included a video of the damage reportedly caused by the attack, multiple massive craters and piles of rubble in the ground with people running frantically in the background and the sounds of explosions evident. The video shows that this occurred in front of the hospital near multiple ambulances. As there were no munition remnants publicly available it is as yet uncertain the exact munition used in this attack.

According to journalist Anas al-Sharif (AnasAlSharif0), “40 bunker buster bombs” were used in the attack – a video included in the tweet showed a massive explosion occurring among men and women walking on a sidewalk, and once the dust clears, at least one can be seen slowing getting up from the ground while others run around and the ground collapses into underground flames. @mohammedhaniya put the number of bombs at nine and mentioned that a “belt of fire” had buried people who had been walking. A video published by journalist @mohammedhaniya and taken from a distance showed at least five massive clouds of smoke rising into the air.

The attack caused damage to the hospital, as can be seen in images posted by the European Hospital on Facebook showing their administration staff wading through to inspect the damage caused to their building – images show the linking of walls collapsed, windows blown out, and debris strewn in hallways.

A very graphic image posted by Msdr News included white body bags for five bodies, two who are visible and appear to be young men.

Mohamed Othman posted a video originally posted by moazabutahaa speaking with a woman who witnessed the strike describing what happened as “A vehicle carrying martyrs and wounded arrived. The ground split open after the European Hospital was targeted. It was the only hospital left receiving martyrs and wounded. I searched for my children but couldn’t find them. The ground split open and swallowed the people” later adding that people had also been dismembered.

The Israeli Defense Forces released a statement on their official Telegram page that “The IDF and ISA dismantled a Hamas underground terrorist infrastructure site underneath the European hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.” The post went on to say that “Earlier today (Tuesday), the IDF and ISA conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists who were operating in a command and control center that was embedded in an underground terrorist infrastructure site underneath the European hospital in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.” A video described as showing an “underground terrorist infrastructure site” at the European Hospital and taken from a drone and photo also taken from a drone showing a similar view to the video were included in the announcement.

Haaretz later reported that the video published by the IDF purporting to show tunnels under the European Hospital was actually of a nearby school called Jenin School, which is not featured in any of the videos published by local sources who reported on the attack.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit responded to Haaretz’s analysis, and said that the tunnel ran beneath both the hospital and the “adjacent area”. As of publication of this incident in September 2025, the Israeli military does not appear to have provided further evidence to support this claim. Haaretz was able to verify at least six craters “from Israeli Air Force munitions inside and outside the hospital grounds, including at the entrance to the emergency room and along the facility’s access road.”

In line with Haaretz’s analysis, Airwars’ geolocation team confirmed that the video mentioned shows the Naqura and Jenin School to the west of the Hospital.

A day after the incident, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed purported to cite the Israeli military, writing that the strike had intended to kill the leader of Hamas, Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar who was killed in 2024. As reported by the BBC on May 28, Israeli officials were initially cautious to go on record saying that Mohammed Sinwar had been killed in the attack. However, the Israeli military announced on their official Telegram channel on May 31st “the elimination of the Head of Hamas’ Military Wing, Mohammed Sinwar, the commander of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade, Mohammad Sabaneh, and commander of Hamas’ South Khan Yunis Battalion, Mahdi Quara”. The post went on to refer to the site of the “elimination” as “under the European Hospital in Khan Yunis”.

In a separate post published on May 31st, the Israeli military described the “targeted operation against Hamas terrorists who were present in a command and control compound established inside underground infrastructure beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis” which killed Sinwar and Sabaneh. By June 8th, the Israeli military had announced that they had found the body of Mohammed Sinwar in the tunnel and included several very graphic videos of what appear to be deceased bodies appearing to have turned black from decomposition.

The post from the Israeli military included a video with a map, which highlighted the European Hospital, along with three nearby schools. The video then morphs into an animated illustration of tunnels supposedly under the hospital. Additional images were shared and described as “identified hits from the precision strikes” showing massive craters in the courtyard of the hospital as well as before and after aerial images.

According to the BBC, Mohammed Sinwar was 49 years old when he was killed and had joined the militant wing of Hamas, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, in the late 1980s and had risen to commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, and ultimately the head of Hamas’s militant wing when his brother Yahya Sinwar was killed. Mohammed Sinwar has been identified as being involved in the 2006 cross-border attack in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was seized, as well as the planning of the October 7th attack on Israel. The Israeli military statement provided similar information about Mohammed Sinwar, adding that “Mohammad Sabaneh was one of the planners and executors of the brutal October 7th massacre and oversaw the captivity of many hostages in southern Gaza”. The Israeli military statement also referred to Mahdi Quara, writing “Mahdi Quara began his activity in Hamas as a weapons manufacturer and military operative in the Khan Yunis Brigade, he later served as head of the brigade’s elite “Nukhba” forces, and was ultimately promoted to commander of the South Khan Yunis Battalion.” Based on the descriptions by local sources as involved in militant activity, all three men have been excluded from the civilian harm toll. A Facebook post from Ramzi Herzallah stated that Sinwar had been killed with “10 of his aides”, which was the highest militant toll provided among sources.

Hamas confirmed Mohammed Sinwar to be a “martyr” in an image which included other high-ranking “martyrs” published on August 30, 2025 but did not provide any additional detail.

Al Arabiya reported that Israeli forces had used toxic gas in the attack, reporting: “It was carried out through Israeli raids using toxic gases inside two fortified underground rooms east of Khan Yunis.”

Where possible, names have been matched with the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH) lists, which include national ID numbers. Airwars is matching individuals to the first list where their name appeared. In regard to this incident, names are matched to the ninth ‘Palestinian Ministry of Health List of Fatalities in Gaza’ list, which was released on June 23, 2025. Additional ages of victims have been found by cross-checking names against lists of fatalities shared online by Genocide in Gaza, which has a list of “martyrs” of Israeli forces and specifically mentioned that the strike occurred “without warning”.