The military and Shin Bet stated that Abu Ismail's fate remains unclear as they review the results of the strike. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defense agency, said the strike hit the hospital's surgery department.
According to The Times of Israel, the IDF and Shin Bet stated that Hamas established a headquarters on the hospital grounds, where operatives stored weapons, carried out “interrogations and torture,” and operated surveillance posts. The military stated that Abu Ismail directed the brigade's terrorists against troops and civilians and held numerous hostages captive during the war, having replaced a predecessor killed by Israel in September. The army reported that it issued advance warnings and used aerial surveillance and precision munitions to minimize harm to civilians.
Under international law, hospitals can lose protected status if they are used for military purposes, The Times of Israel reported. Israeli hostages have stated that they were held captive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and a senior Hamas commander was killed at the facility last year. Additionally, the aid group Doctors Without Borders suspended noncritical activities at the complex earlier this year due to the presence of armed men, while a doctor who served as a hospital spokesperson previously indicated that Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened him for refusing to allow its operatives to use the compound.