Israel strikes Al-Aqsa Hospital complex in Gaza targeting Hamas commander

Hospital compound targeted in Deir al-Balah

The Israeli military conducted an air operation against a Hamas commander located within the perimeter of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah on 29 August 2026. According to personnel at the hospital, an Israeli drone launched two separate projectiles at a structure adjacent to the primary facility, hitting a location near a warehouse situated close to the maternity ward. Hospital administrators reported that at least three people sustained injuries during the strike, alongside material damage to the surrounding buildings. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the commander targeted in the operation was preparing attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians while hiding inside the facility. The military did not publicly disclose the identity of the commander or confirm whether the strike resulted in his death.

The targeted terrorist was hiding inside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex.

Military warnings and operational conduct

Israeli military officials stated that the strike utilized precision munitions and continuous aerial surveillance to reduce risks to surrounding civilians. The armed forces had issued a formal warning to Gaza health authorities on 27 August 2026, two days prior to the attack, stating that medical facilities must not be used for hostile operations.

It was made clear that the Israel Defense Forces will act against any threat if such activity continues.

The military communique did not state whether tactical warnings were communicated directly to hospital medical personnel immediately before the drone fired its projectiles.

Fatalities across Gaza City and central districts

Separate military actions on Saturday resulted in deaths across other sectors of the Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, an Israeli strike hit a 24-year-old delivery worker, Raed Adel Mohamad Alyan, who was riding a bicycle. Staff at Al Quds Hospital confirmed Alyan was killed and three other individuals were injured before being transported to their facility. In the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, the Civil Defence reported that an Israeli bombardment near a traffic roundabout killed two individuals and wounded several others. When questioned about the Tel al-Hawa strike, the Israeli military confirmed targeting a military operative in the area. Earlier on Saturday morning, Israeli troops positioned in an armored vehicle fired upon and killed a Palestinian man in central Gaza, an incident the military stated it was reviewing.

Casualty records under the 2025 truce

The strikes took place under the framework of a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025. Data released by the Gaza Ministry of Health indicates that 1,313 individuals have died and 4,361 others have suffered injuries in the ten months following the truce implementation.

The conflict originally escalated following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 individuals were captured as hostages. Over the nearly three years of subsequent military operations, the Gaza Ministry of Health records that 73,449 Palestinians have been killed and 174,472 injured out of the enclave's population of roughly two million.