The IDF on Tuesday revealed that six of the roughly 20 Palestinians killed in Monday’s shelling of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis were Hamas terrorists, but emphasized that the disclosure was not meant to absolve the army of responsibility for what commanders have already admitted was a grave operational mistake.

The incident has triggered widespread international condemnation and intensified scrutiny of how the IDF approved the use of tank fire against a crowded hospital, a move many officers privately criticized as reckless given the availability of more precise alternatives.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the intended target was a video surveillance camera, not suspected terrorists. Soldiers in the field had reported suspicious movements, but the order to open fire was given without clear confirmation of Hamas activity.

The army also acknowledged that two separate rounds of shelling were fired on the hospital. The second strike inflicted further casualties on medical staff, journalists, and rescue workers who had rushed to the scene. The military’s latest statement did not explain why a second barrage was approved.

The casualties included several journalists. Reuters confirmed that its cameraman Hussam al-Masri was killed and photographer Hatem Khaled wounded. Other journalists killed were identified as Mariam Abu Dagga, a freelancer for the Associated Press; Mohammed Salama, who worked with Al Jazeera; and Moaz Abu Taha. A rescue worker was also killed, according to Gaza officials.

The hospital, reportedly operating at full capacity with more than 1,000 patients, saw at least 50 others wounded in the shelling, said Nasser Hospital director Atef al-Hout.

The unusual wording of the IDF statement, which distinguished between errors by field commanders and those at Southern Command headquarters in Beersheva, signals possible internal disagreements. Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin, the army spokesperson, reiterated Monday night that Israel seeks to avoid civilian harm but must contend with Hamas embedding itself in hospitals. Still, Defrin provided no specific information about Hamas assets struck in this case, fueling speculation of dissent over whether tank fire was an appropriate method.

Since Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor assumed command of Southern Command in March, air force sources have accused him of being less rigorous in minimizing civilian casualties than his predecessor.

The strike has further damaged Israel’s already tenuous civilian-to-combatant casualty ratio. While IDF officers privately estimate a wartime ratio of roughly 60% civilians to 40% terrorists killed, the past six months show a much higher civilian toll. The IDF says it has killed 2,000 Hamas fighters during that period; Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry claims about 11,000 Gazans have died overall. Israel disputes many of Hamas’s figures but has not provided its own official tally—breaking with past practice.

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